Effect of handling on freshness and firmness of tomatoes

Added on 20 May 2024

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Effect of handling on freshness and firmness of tomatoes

Photo: WUR

In the supermarket, consumers judge the quality of fruits and vegetables by paying attention to various attributes, such as colour, firmness and freshness. But how do consumers assess the freshness and firmness of tomatoes at home while preparing and then consuming the produce? How do actions such as cutting tomatoes affect their perception?

The public-private partnership Future Sensors & Digital Twins is investigating how freshness and shelf life are assessed and how we can apply innovative method such as non-destructive sensors. As part of this project, a study was conducted on the influence of handling, only looking and feeling the produce or also cutting, on freshness and firmness perception.

First panellists had to rate tomatoes for both visual properties and firmness by looking and feeling the product.