Determination of the correct point of harvest

Consumers demand high levels of quality and consistency in their food. For the food industry, especially with its complex international supply chains, careful monitoring methods are critical to delivering quality and consistency. The determination of the correct point of harvest of fruits is one of the main criteria to deliver agricultural raw material quality. One viable monitoring method is refractometry, specifically measuring the degree Brix °Br. In this application note, we demonstrate the application of refractometry to measure fruit ripening. Measure the ripeness of fruits or vegetables (i.e. corn) with SCHMIDT + HAENSCH’s ATR BR using the Brix value: During plant growth and increasing ripeness, the starch content decreases while the sugar content increases. The more sugar you measure, the more mature the fruit or vegetable is.

Ripeness of grapes, tomatoes, melons, kiwis etc. and sugar content in water 

The digital handheld refractometer is used to determine the must or sugar content in the fruit and wine-making industries. It can also be used to determine the degree of ripening for fruits such as tomatoes, melons, or kiwis. The handheld refractometer can be used to determine the water and sugar content in honey.