Application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as a Safe & Non-Destructive Method for Monitoring of Fruit & Vegetable in Postharvest Period

Abstract

Much effort nowadays is directed towards increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables because of their health benefits. The attractiveness of horticultural crops with to respect the purchasing behavior of consumers is affected by visual appearance, but the expected internal quality is of equal importance (Patel, et al.). Quality of produce encompasses sensory properties (appearance, texture, taste and aroma), nutritive values, chemical constituents, mechanical properties, functional properties and defects. Shewfelt points out that quality is often defined from either a product orientation or a consumer orientation. Often empirical methods developed to measure some particular quality attribute actually measure ripeness. Physiological processes involved in ripening and senescence occur together in a fairly predictable pattern. For example, measuring color might appear to be adequate to estimate firmness in peaches and tomatoes at harvest. However, growing conditions or postharvest treatments may decouple the physiological processes such that indirect measurements no longer predict quality as expected—e.g., the fruit softens but the color does not change. So, it is essential to recognize what is really being measured and to respect the limitations of indirect measurement.