New Use of Packaging Labels: Sensing the Ripeness of Pears

New Zealand scientists invented the maturity tag detection technology

Editor's note: When the pears sold in supermarkets are simply unable to tell if they are mature in color, how do you judge whether they are suitable for consumption? New Zealand scientists helped us and they said: "Look at the label, the answer is there."

Ben Wang compiled reports: Unlike Apple, many pears bought from stores need to wait until they are ripe to eat. This can be confusing for many consumers, because regardless of the maturity of pears, they all maintain the same color, the same degree of hardness.

Traditional pears are ramblingly placed on supermarket prices, and consumers choose them based on their color and firmness. However, for the food business, it left them with a box full of crooked pears that had been chosen by overzealous customers. This made their cost too expensive.

A group of New Zealand scientists invented a sensor tag that fits inside a pear plastic package. This tag perfectly solves this problem. The market survey of this product in New Zealand and the United States is very satisfactory. The maker of the label, Jenkins Group, plans to sell the product globally, starting with the launch of this product in Australia and the United Kingdom this summer.

At present, the supplier of plastic packaging in New Zealand is a company called Flight Group, but suppliers in each overseas market need to be determined by the quality of the packaging.

Dr. Keith Sharrock and Dr. Ron Henzell are working with the Jenkins Group and hope that the product will be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The product will be installed in the package rather than directly on the food. The sensor indicates the degree of maturity of the food by changing the color according to the odor released from the food. Although in the refrigerator, the ripening process will be slowed, but at room temperature, pears only need five days, the label can change from dark red to yellow.

The Jenkins Group hopes to expand the family of mature sensors by developing watermelon ripening sensors, mango ripening sensors, and avocado sensors. (Compilation: Xu Jie)