Gentle and efficient movement of fruit through the grading and packing system

• The Loughborough University study for ADAS (1986) demonstrated that packing line grading damage could reduce marketable fruit by 38% – 49%.
• Most packing lines have improved considerably since the 1986 study, but even on the smoothest system damage can occur if people and equipment do not handle fruit with care.
• Packers should carry out regular ‘step testing’ to ensure equipment is calibrated to give the best possible performance.
• To step test, a sample should be gathered and assessed for bruise/blemish and introduced to the grading line. A proportion of fruit is removed at each step and left for 24 hours before being assessed. Results are compared with those from the original sample. This should identify where poor performance areas exist on the grading line.
• There is an electronic apple now available which can be used to identify ‘hot spots’ in a more scientific, albeit more costly, way.