Non-Destructive Techniques for Quality Evaluation of Intact Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

Consumers are now more conscious about quality and source of their foods. Attempts made to determine the quality of food materials are numerous, but most of them are destructive in nature. In recent years, nondestructive methods of quality evaluation have gained momentum and a considerable attempts have been made to develop them. This paper reviews application of these non-destructive methods: magnetic resonance imaging, x-ray computer tomography, near infrared spectroscopy and a few other important techniques for determination of different quality attributes with emphasis on fruits and vegetables, and discusses their pros and cons for practical exploitation.