Ripening sticker to be tested on Washington apples
Ripening sticker to be tested on Washington apples
A sticker that could tell whether an apple is ripe in the orchard and packinghouse is being tested this fall and could be marketed as early as next year.
Mark Riley, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at the University of Arizona, teamed with Arizona psychologist Robert Klein years ago to develop a new device they hope is different from other technologies that have proven to be expensive or time-consuming in measuring fruit ripeness.
The marker, created by the fledgling company RediRipe, detects ethylene gas - the chemical released during ripening - and turns the patent-pending sticker from white to blue.
With funding from the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, the sticker will be tested on apples in Washington during the 12-week harvest, starting later this month. The commission is also hoping to test the sticker on stored fruit and at retail, said Jim McFerson, manager of the commission.
"We aim to work first with growers, then connect to grocers and then to consumers," said Mr. Riley. "Each will have different needs and requirements of performance and sensitivity of the device. This likely would need to be tailored to each [fruit] or several types of fruits to have varying degrees of sensitivity."
The device, if proven effective, could be used for storage handlers and shippers who handle the apples throughout the cold chain. Right now, workers use natural indicators such as firmness to determine if apples are ripe. A simple, accurate and affordable device could save the apple industry money. Even before shipping, U.S. apple growers lose $300 million annually due to inefficiencies in determining ripeness on the tree and post-harvest, said Mr. Riley.
But there are still bugs that need to be worked out, said Mr. McFerson; it may or may not make it to commercial success. Other devices are in the works, including a hand-held sensor, which is also being supported with grower dollars.
These are the types of technologies that Washington tree fruit growers hope will receive research dollars from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whichdid pitch in funds through a small business grant.
When asked whether the industry could end up with more losses from a ripe fruit indicator, he said the consumer deserves it. "If consumers expect quality, we should provide it," said Mr. McFerson. "We can't afford to pick, store and sell fruit and not meet consumer expectation."
Mark Riley, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at the University of Arizona, teamed with Arizona psychologist Robert Klein years ago to develop a new device they hope is different from other technologies that have proven to be expensive or time-consuming in measuring fruit ripeness.
The marker, created by the fledgling company RediRipe, detects ethylene gas - the chemical released during ripening - and turns the patent-pending sticker from white to blue.
With funding from the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, the sticker will be tested on apples in Washington during the 12-week harvest, starting later this month. The commission is also hoping to test the sticker on stored fruit and at retail, said Jim McFerson, manager of the commission.
"We aim to work first with growers, then connect to grocers and then to consumers," said Mr. Riley. "Each will have different needs and requirements of performance and sensitivity of the device. This likely would need to be tailored to each [fruit] or several types of fruits to have varying degrees of sensitivity."
The device, if proven effective, could be used for storage handlers and shippers who handle the apples throughout the cold chain. Right now, workers use natural indicators such as firmness to determine if apples are ripe. A simple, accurate and affordable device could save the apple industry money. Even before shipping, U.S. apple growers lose $300 million annually due to inefficiencies in determining ripeness on the tree and post-harvest, said Mr. Riley.
But there are still bugs that need to be worked out, said Mr. McFerson; it may or may not make it to commercial success. Other devices are in the works, including a hand-held sensor, which is also being supported with grower dollars.
These are the types of technologies that Washington tree fruit growers hope will receive research dollars from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whichdid pitch in funds through a small business grant.
When asked whether the industry could end up with more losses from a ripe fruit indicator, he said the consumer deserves it. "If consumers expect quality, we should provide it," said Mr. McFerson. "We can't afford to pick, store and sell fruit and not meet consumer expectation."
