Before a store is opened, all available information should be assessed. Pre-storage assessment and store monitoring data will be vital in determining the potential marketing outlet. Only fruit with the potential for a good grade-out will be worth packing …
Depending on which outlet the fruit is intended for i.e. multiple, wholesale, or processing, assessment will need to reflect customer specification. All standards will involve visual, textural, internal and organoleptic characteristics. Multiple standards …
As soon as the store is opened an assessment of the fruit from each orchard should be undertaken. In practical terms this may have to be an on-going process due to access to fruit from particular orchards. Ideally 100 apples taken from a minimum of 20 …
Ideally packhouses should be air-conditioned with a working temperature around 10 o C. The temperature of fruit at packing may influence the level of grader damage as fruit passes along the line. Some varieties, such as Discovery, are more susceptible …
An interval between picking and packing will be required to reduce grader damage and will be influenced by variety and weather at picking time. Heavy rain prior to harvest will result in turgid fruit, which will bruise easily if graded too quickly. …
Selection of equipment equal to the task should be part of any assessment before committing apples to a packing line. The scale of operation will influence the equipment decision. Large packing operations depend on large volume throughput for …
Dry tip operations will only be justified in a small operation. Where dry tipping is used the tipper should always be of the type unloading from the top of the inverted bin, reducing movement of fruits within the bin. Other types of tipper where fruit is …
Sizing has moved on from historic rising bar systems and weight graders that can be difficult to calibrate accurately when fruit density and shape varies. Both historic systems fail to deliver size grading which is accurate enough for today’s customer …
Liz Scott is Head of Crop Characterisation with overall responsibility for management and delivery of NIAB’s core services to Defra, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO). These comprise Seed Certification …
Quality selection in most packing operations is currently still achieved by human selection. This operation depends on the physical removal of fruit by grading staff on the packing line onto a moving belt. The use of electronic wands also requires human …
Niab
Park Farm Campus
Villa Road
Histon
Cambridge
CB24 9AT, UK
Tel: +44(0)1223 342200
Email: [email protected]
