Pilar Barreiro
Title Quality in fruits and vegetables: from sensory perception to instrumental measurement
Abstract The Physical Properties Laboratory (LPF) has been working on fruit quality assessment for more than 20 years now. Some discussions will be held about theoretical and practical topics concerning instrumental measurement of quality in fruits. From some approaches to the definition of quality, to the role of the different agents involved in the quality assessment process. A review of most used and recent techniques to measure each quality parameter is presented, as well as the proper rules to perform the measurements (sampling, good laboratory practices) and the way to evaluate and quantify the error level of an instrument (metrology). Finally on-line measuring, sensor fusion and the automation process are discussed. Also a reference is made to a European Concerted action: Artificial Sensing Techniques for the Evaluation of Quality (ASTEQ, FAIR CT97-3516), now running, where near 15 research centres (10 countries) are involved.
Authors Prof. Margarita Ruiz-Altisent , Dr. Pilar Barreiro, Constantino Valero
Speaker Pilar Barreiro
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Institution Polytechnic University of Madrid
web page
 http://iru16.iru.etsia.upm.es/

 

During the last 20 years, Prof.Margarita Ruiz Altisent and Physical Properties Laboratory of Rural Engineering Department (ETSIA-UPM) have been intensively working in Fruit Quality matters. This work has being directed mainly to:
x Determine quality parameters
x Develope sensors to measure and control quality in fruits and vegetables
x Search for relationships between mechanical and physical properties and damage susceptibility with fruit variety, environment, handling, etc
We have never forgotten, from our work at University, of our responsability with the needs and interests or farmers and agricultural & food business men. This is why we combine our research tasks with services and projects for private agriculture-food companies. We believe this is the proper way to do technological transfer. Therefore we get our research results to come to its main final users, which are farmers and agricultural & food business men.

As an example of this, we have developed different methods and equipments which let fruit producers and handlers to make the proper handle of fruit, keeping the full quality that fruit brings from orchards, without significant quality decreases.