GREENFRUIT

Title: GReen and Energy Efficient Next generation FRUIT quality monitoring in storage (GREENFRUIT)

Application number: 4766
Duration: 1 February 2024 – 1 February 2027
Researchers: Amir Khodabakhsh, Simona M. Cristescu
Cost estimate: 1.6 M€
Funding: Eurostars 3 - Call 5, RVO
Project partners: Storex, DTU, NORBLIS

Each year 1.3 billion tons of food is lost, of which 572 million tons are fruits and vegetables. About 10% of these losses is caused by unfavorable storage conditions, despite the existence of systems that regulate storage conditions. A large part could be prevented with continuous monitoring. Detection of relevant parameters for ripening, fermentation, rotting, and damage within storage units would allow timely and effective interventions when unfavorable conditions occur, however no suitable monitoring solution exist.

In the current project of GREENFRUIT (GReen and Energy Efficient Next generation FRUIT quality monitoring in storage), we will upgrade various subsystems to increase the detection capabilities of the sensor and develop an Interactive Storage Monitor and Alert System (ISMAS). ISMAS will be able to simultaneously monitor up to 10 storage rooms with any kind of fruit or vegetable in real-time. If unfavorable conditions are detected, ISMAS will provide automated alerts to enable timely and effective interventions by its customers. ISMAS has the potential to reduce losses of stored fruit by 50%, extend storage life with 20%, reduce post-harvest chemical treatments with 50%. Moreover, it reduces storage energy consumption by 10% by promoting green and energy efficient fresh fruit storage and sustainable agriculture.

The general concept of the ISMAS is similar to the prototypes developed in QCAP and MAX-FRESH, which use grating-based spectrometers and 2- 4 µm supercontinuum light sources. However, ISMAS will use a 2-10 µm supercontinuum source that will be developed by NORBLIS based on novel chalcogenide fibers made by DTU, two partners of the project. Compared to the 2- 4 µm supercontinuum source used in in QCAP and MAXFRESH project, this will be a much larger optical spectral coverage of the source. To utilize this ultrabroad spectrum, the TDLab team at RU will develop a cutting-edge Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) that will vastly improve the performance of the system as has been previously shown in our other projects of FLAIR (FLying ultrA-broadband single-shot Infra-Red sensor) and TRIAGE (ulTRa-broadband InfrAred Gas sEnsor). It will increase the number of detectable species, provide better detection sensitivity and selectivity, and reduce the interference in the detected concentration. It will eliminate the pre-calibration and periodic re-calibration requirement of the predecessor system, guaranteeing a truly calibration-free and low-maintenance operation. In addition, the ISMAS allows the user to add new species to the detection list of the system on-the-fly. This drastically increases the flexibility of the ISMAS compared to its predecessor and opens for its use in other in-situ applications with minimum hardware changes.