FOOD RETAIL
Tellspec’s technology can be used to test the quality,
ripeness, and flavor of fresh fruit in less than 15 seconds and in a reliable and non-destructive manner.
With the Tellspec Enterprise Scanner and the Fruit QC application you can determine the quality of the fruit received, so as to make an informed decision on whether the fruit should be sold, returned to the producer, or donated to a food bank.
Tellspec’s Fruit QC Accuracy
1. Brix: accuracy < 0.99 °Bx
2. Titratable acidity: accuracy < 0.99 g/L
This solution helps you reduce the costs associated with food waste and improve the bottom line, and at the same time improve the quality of fruit offered to customers.
Brix:
How sweet is my fruit?
Degrees Brix, or total soluble solids, is a measure of the sugar content in a fruit. As the fruit ripens the starch turns into sugar, and so the higher the Brix measurement the better the fruit tastes.
Brix can be measured using a refractometer (picture above), by cutting the fruit and placing a few drops of juice on a glass stage. The refractivity of the juice is read either manually through an eyepiece or digitally from a display. This process is time-consuming and destroys the fruit, and because it uses manual preparation of the juice it leads to inconsistencies in the measurements.
Now, with the Tellspec Enterprise Scanner and the Fruit QC application, you can measure Brix without destroying the fruit and in a few seconds. Our sensor sends light into the fruit and based on the light’s interaction with the fruit, the degrees Brix is measured.
Titratable Acidity:
How sour is my fruit?
Sour tastes are mostly produced by acids, and there several different types of organic acids in fruits, the most common being citric, malic, lactic, tartaric, and acetic acids.
Titratable Acidity: The Tellspec Enterprise Scanner, with the Fruit QC application, measures the Titratable Acidity in fruits to give you the best scientific approximation of the Total Acidity of the fruit. Titratable acidity determines the degree of maturity and the quality of the fruit; the amount of organic acids in a food directly affects the food’s flavor, color, stability, and overall quality. Titratable acidity is also a better predictor of acid’s impact on flavor than a simple measurement of pH.
Titratable acidity of fruits and degrees Brix, are the best indicators of the maturity of a fruit. In general the higher the maturity, the lower the acid content.
Titratable acidity can be measured using a laboratory instrument called a titrator. Most titrators are expensive and require chemicals and technical experts to use them; the process of finding the titratable acidity using a titrator also destroys the fruit being measured.
Now, with the Tellspec Enterprise Scanner and the Fruit QC application, you can measure titratable acidity without destroying the fruit and in a few seconds. Light is sent into the fruit and based on the light’s interaction with the fruit, the titratable acidity is measured.
Tellspec’s Fruit QC in Action
