Norwich-based Sinclair has launched a compact bench top version of its award winning, on-line fruit firmness testing system.
The Sinclair iQ Bench Top unit is a portable fruit firmness testing device. The compact unit is designed to complement the non-destructive on-line system used by fruit distributors and packhouses worldwide.
Sinclair’s high-speed, on-line system aims to enable suppliers to improve the consistency of their fruit quality. It measures the firmness of every individual fruit on-line at a rate of up to 10 fruit per second and sorts produce into up to six firmness bands. The system segregates fruit of a specified firmness and can remove unevenly ripened, soft or hard produce. It can also predict ripening times within the supply chain and can select ripe and ready-to-eat fruit for retail marketing programmes.
A Sinclair statement said: “The new unit will allow fruit handlers to undertake simple and convenient off-line quality control testing. It is designed to support the on-line system and further boost fruit quality and consistency throughout the supply chain. The Bench Top unit is now being marketed to growers, packers, importers, exporters, distribution centres, retail depots and major multiples.”
Sinclair iQ product manager Neil Winney said: “To date the Bench Top unit has been used as an in-house research and development tool. As a commercial unit it is designed to support clients currently using our on-line firmness testing system. It uses exactly the same technology and can be employed at any point in the supply chain.”
The bench top unit connects to a standard power supply and has a user-friendly interface with digital LCD display. Fruit placed on an adjustable holding tray is automatically rotated whilst the surface of the fruit is gently touched in four locations. The unit instantly displays the iQ value of the fruit according to Sinclair’s recognised firmness scale.
A sensor within the unit’s patented air bellow measures the electrical response around the circumference of each fruit. The elastic property of the fruit is reflected in a measurement on the Sinclair iQ firmness scale. The higher the value on the Sinclair iQ scale, the harder the fruit. This reading can then be used to predict the ripeness level of the fruit.
Sinclair’s technology can be likened to a hand gently squeezing fruit to test firmness. Extensive research trials have proved that the Sinclair iQ system correlates strongly with human sensory perceptions.
Winney added: “We’re confident that our firmness testing system and iQ scale will eventually replace current destructive testing methods and become the industry standard. As a totally non-destructive system, the iQ Bench Top unit offers considerable savings on the waste and labour costs associated with destructive testing. It also allows more accurate testing on larger samples of fruit.”
Sinclair iQ on-line firmness testing systems are now installed at commercial fruit operations worldwide including the USA, UK, Europe, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa. Product applications include avocado, kiwifruit, stonefruit, apples and mango. Demand for the new bench top system has reportedly been high and many existing customers have already ordered units.
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