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Laser labeling of fruit and vegetables: Evaluation of the effect on apples
Project
Project code: MRI-OG-08-1060-laser-labeling
Contract period: 01.07.2019
- 31.07.2021
Purpose of research: Applied research
Food labelling provides information about important characteristics of a food to the consumer - in case of fruit and vegetables, for example the variety, the country or region of origin or the method of production. Such information is typically attached to sticky labels, banderols or plastic films which causes two problems: On the one hand, the labelling can get lost together with the information medium. On the other hand, the widespread use of sticky labels, banderoles or plastic films gives rise to large amounts of waste every year which have to be disposed of or recycled. As an alternative, food labels can be attached to the food itself. For this purpose, the so-called „Laser labeling“ technique, also referred to as „Natural Branding“, has been increasingly used in recent years. Here, symbols, barcodes or letterings are engraved directly into the fruit surface with the help of carbon dioxide or UV lasers. The major benefit of this approach is that a laser label cannot get lost which is highly advantageous regarding traceability. However, as the laser treatment may cause a disruption of the outer cell layers of the peel, storability of the fruit may be compromised. Further, the effects of a laser treatment on the structure and the chemical composition of the peel have not been assessed comprehensively. The Max Rubner-Institut (Department of Safety and Quality of Fruit and Vegetables; Department of Food Technology and Bioprocess Engineering) investigates in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück (Prof. T. Rath, Biosystems Engineering Laboratory) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Prof. P. Nick, Chair of Molecular Cell Biology) the effects of a laser treatment on the apple peel. In the first part of the project, Braeburn apples will be treated with a CO2 laser at different intensities (mild to severe) and subsequently stored at 1°C or 20°C. Samples will be drawn directly after the treatment as well as after two days and one week. With the help of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, a sensory analysis and an untargeted metabolome analysis, the changes at the cellular and molecular level induced by the laser treatment will be evaluated.
Section overview
Subjects
- Arboriculture
- Food Processing
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
MRI - Department of Safety and Quality of Fruit and Vegetables (MRI-OG)
