Figuring out how ripe a particular fruit is can be quite tricky, and I’ve always marveled at those who can tell by flicking their fingers against the skin of a fruit a couple of times. Well, thankfully there is technology to help us now as a new system based on metal oxide sensors could potentially check the safety and quality of foods reliably, quickly and economically, including the ripeness level of a fruit. This is made possible by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institutes for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME in Schmallenberg and for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in Freiburg. It is capable of doing so by checking on gas emissions on-line. It will take some time before such sensors enter mainstream consciousness, but it is a start to help new housewives get their act together when it comes to picking up the freshest produce for her family.
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