Fruit and Vegetable Texture Measurement

Measure a multitude of textures from raw ingredients to finished product.

The market for fruit and vegetables, especially in many industrial countries, is constantly changing and evolving. Every year new crops are being offered for sale in markets and this stimulates innovation in handling methods and studies of quality factors.

Texture is one of the most important quality attributes affecting the acceptability of both fresh and processed foods. Fruit and vegetable quality is a concept based on several criteria which depend on the objective. Firmness is an important factor to take into account since most, if not all, fruit and vegetables exhibit a substantial change in firmness during the process of ripening.

Because the ripening process itself varies from fruit to fruit, a large variation in firmness may be found among individual pieces in the same containers or harvested at the same time. This difference in appearance may considerably influence the consumer acceptance of the product as it is related to the ‘eating maturity’ and the product texture.

A wide range of FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRODUCT test methods is built into Exponent Texture Analyser software and will automatically load at the click of a button. We help make your testing quicker to access and the analysis of your product properties already prepared for you.

Typical measurements include: • Ripeness • Firmness • Skin Rupture Force ('Bioyield Point') • Crust Crispness • Flexibility / Rigidity • Consistency • Stickiness • Bruising Potential •

Over the years we’ve worked with top scientists and companies in the field to develop fixtures for the AACCI Standard Method 56-36.01 for determining firmness of cooked pulses, the Multiple Puncture Probe for measurement of variable textures and the Acoustic Envelope Detector for the extra dimension of sound measurement.

No one knows more about the texture analysis of these products – but don’t just take our word for it, read an example of what our customers have to say.

Any of the texture analyser range can be used for the product tests listed. 

A selection of special attachments and typical measurements which are commonly used in this application area are shown below, although this does not necessarily include the complete range available for the testing of fruit and vegetable products. Test procedures include: compression, puncture / penetration, tension, fracture / bending, extrusion, cutting / shearing.