TESTING FACILITIES
Our fully equipped post-harvest testing laboratory contains fruit texture analysers, mobile spectrometers, fluorimeters, three gas analysers (measures levels of ethylene, CO2 and O2 to maintain optimal produce quality), ICA 56 ethylene monitors, shore metres, dehydrators, and refractometers. Our lead tester has a PhD in post-harvest apple disorders, and our team are considered experts within the field.
We can test various aspects of fruit quality, such as:
Chlorophyll Degradation
Colour
Dry Matter
Ethylene
Pressure
Respiration Rate
Size
Soluble Sugars (Brix)
Starch
Titratable Acids
COMPARISON TRIALS
Landseer specialises in devising and implementing comparison trials for assessing new technology used in the fresh produce sector.
We have lead trials on the following produce:
Apples
Avocados
Bananas
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cherries
Herbs
Melons
Pears
Plums
Strawberries
Tomatoes
INTERNAL FRUIT PARAMETERS
Landseer work with various companies and institutions to develop methods of assessing the internal qualities of fruit in order to predict maturity stages.
CHLOROPHYLL FLUORESENCE
We have developed a system to predict the date of 80% starch within apples as an indication for an optimal harvest date by monitoring chlorophyll throughout maturation. This has been put to use over several years.
NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING
We have been working with TrinamiX to develop a product for UK specific apples that can detect dry matter, brix, and acidity.
So far, we have been able to track the dry matter and brix of an apple from fruitlet (whilst still on the tree), through maturity and harvest, all the way to the end of storage. We were able to visibly see what the dry matter and brix values performing.