Felix Instruments announces F-750 produce quality meter featured at 2014 International Horticultural Congress

The Felix Instruments F-750 Produce Quality Meter, which instantly measures dry matter, brix, moisture content and colour in produce, will be the subject of four workshops presented at the 2014 International Horticultural Congress (IHC). Researchers from University of California-Davis and Central Queensland University are among those presenting data using the F-750 to analyse dry matter, colour, and sugar content in pre- and post-harvest mangos, tomatoes, and cherries at the “Non-destructive Assessment of Fruit Attributes Symposium” at the IHC.



“The F-750 represents a breakthrough technology in produce analysis,” says Michael Larman, General Manager of Felix. “It is a handheld instrument that can be used at any point of pre- and post-harvest to identify ideal ripeness by measuring ripeness indices customized for that fruit.” The F-750 is at the leading edge of a growing technology sector devoted to pre- and post-harvest management in horticulture. Consumer demand for high-grade produce, the need to increase cost-effectiveness in harvesting decisions, and the challenges of long-term shipping and storage are all factors creating the demand for commercial sensor solutions for horticultural producers.

The IHC, one of the largest horticultural conferences in the world, draws thousands of leading researchers from over 100 countries. This year’s focus on non-destructive sensor solutions at the IHC is indicative of the growing demand for applied technologies in produce management. The Non-destructive Assessment of Fruit Attributes Symposium at IHC will run from August 18 – 20.

The F-750 will be featured in:
• “Applying Nondestructive Sensors to Improve Fresh Fruit Consumer Satisfaction” - Dr. Carlos Crisosto, U.C. Davis
• “Using Data from In-situ Fruit Assessment to Inform Pre- and Post-harvest” - Dr. Manuela Zude, Vice President of the German Society for Horticultural Science
• “Comparison Between an Acoustic Firmness Sensor and Near Infrared Spectrometer” – Dr. Andrew McGlone, Senior Scientist at New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research
• “In-Field Monitoring of Tomato and Mango Fruit Dry Matter and Colour” – Dr. Kerry Walsh, Central Queensland University

Michael Larman, General Manager of Felix Instruments:
“The potential for targeted spectroscopy for improving harvest and post-harvest management is enormous. The F-750 makes analysis easy: it offers handheld data collection that can be carried from tree to tree, orchard to orchard, and then brought inside to the packinghouse, storage rooms, deliver trucks…right into the grocery store. It starts in the field and adds up to offering a better product on supermarket shelves.”

Leonard Felix, President CID Bio-Science:
“Ripeness and flavour, the most important metrics for fruit quality, can now be pinpointed while the fruit is still on the tree. The F-750 data makes it possible to customize an ideal harvest outcome, from orchard to packing house.”


For more information
Felix Instruments
Judith Edwards
P: 360-833-8835 ext 208
F: 360-833-1914
jedwards@cid-inc.com
www.cid-inc.com
 
Michael Larman
mlarman@felixinstruments.com
www.felixinstruments.com