A Review of Destructive and Non-destructive Methods for Determining Avocado Fruit Maturity

Optimum harvest maturity is one of the important factors determining the quality of avocado fruit. Currently, avocado harvest maturity is mostly determined using markers or indices such as mesocarp oil, dry matter, or moisture content, all quantified destructively using representative samples of a batch in a consignment. Although useful, destructive techniques are time-consuming and results reflect properties of specific produce evaluated. High variation in maturity stages affect postharvest quality and the rate of ripening within a consignment, causing logistical difficulties. Emerging analytical techniques have particular advantages in non-destructive detection of food quality and safety. In this paper, destructive and non-destructive analytical methods and instruments for determining maturity parameters of avocado fruit are discussed. This review also looks at the trends in applying emerging optical and imaging techniques to the analysis of avocado fruit maturity and quality, in particular, visible to near infrared spectroscopy, ultrasonic system, ultrasound imaging, hyperspectral imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, and fluorescence imaging. On the basis of the observed trends, the technical challenges and future prospects for commercial application of these non-destructive techniques for maturity determination of individual avocado fruit are presented.

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