THE APPLICATION OF NON-DESTRUCTIVE HANDY HARDNESS METER FOR ASSESSMENT OF AVOCADO FRUIT FIRMNESS

Measurement of avocado fruit firmness is important for commercial storage and laboratory experiments.
However, many conventional hardness meters are not suitable for measuring the same sample at different times, because the measurement process causes significant damage on fruit.
Nondestructive hardness meters based on acoustic response or ultrasonic are available, but they are expensive and not easy to operate.

HANDY HIT is a nondestructive handy hardness meter made in Japan (Fujihirakougyou Co.
Ltd.) for assessment of kiwifruit firmness.
It is easy to operate and the measuring process causes very little damage to the fruit.
In the present study, we compared two different types of hardness meter: HANDY HIT (HANDY HIT 400–500 and HANDY HIT 500–800, nondestructive type) and Penetrometer (destructive type; Effegi, Italy). The results showed that the change of avocado firmness at early stage of softening can be monitored by the HANDY HIT 500–800, while it is difficult by the Penetrometer and HANDY HIT 400–500. Thus HANDY HIT 500–800 is useful to the assessment of avocado fruit firmness.

XXV International Horticultural Congress, Part 7: Quality of Horticultural Products

H. Inoue, A. Tateishi

firmness, non-destruvtive hardness meter, avocado

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2000.517.52