A review Technological development in the grading of fruits and vegetables

A review

Abstract

Grading is an ancient technique used for selecting and separating quality-based desirable products to increase the overall profit. It also contributes in maintaining uniform quality throughout the supply chain. Fruits and vegetables form an important part of our meals but their quality varies with the production practices, geographical regions, and environmental conditions. Hence, the supply of uniform quality fruits and vegetables to the consumers can be assured only through grading. Different types of graders, i.e., belt grader, weight grader, roller grader, image-based grader, etc., have been developed with time. Many modern graders possess higher efficiency and are product specific. However, industries are still using the traditional grading system while the commercialization of developed grading systems is still pending. Considering these gaps, the present study was conducted with focus on the classification, working principles, product suitability and input/output capacity of different graders used for fruits and vegetables.