END OF THE SQUEEZE TEST
A label that changes colour as fruit ripens is allowing shoppers to see whether pears are ready to eat – without have to squeeze them. Developed at the Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand, the system uses a punnet that traps the volatile compounds fruit emit. As the fruit ripen, the label colour changes in response to changing concentrations of these compounds.
Since pears need to soften before they achieve their best flavour, shoppers often squeeze the fruit to test them, which can damage them, says Ron Henzell, who led the research team. The…
