Agri-tech research and development company B-hive Innovations is partnering with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) on a collaborative program called ‘TuberTurgor’. The aim of this program is to reduce the risk of potato bruising and develop technologies that could effectively minimize supermarket waste.
The business secured funding from Innovate UK as part of its Analysis for Innovators (A4I) program to support the nine-month project. The collaboration with scientists at NPL will focus on investigating non-destructive methods of measuring turgor pressure in potatoes.
Turgor pressure is the force inside cells that pushes outwards, enabling cells to withstand shocks and reducing bruising. The research team aims to gather extensive data and proof of concepts to develop tools that can automatically sort different fresh produce based on its bruising risk. This could be crucial in reducing waste and optimizing the supply chain.
Source: fpcfreshtalkdaily.co.uk
