Contents I. Introduction
About one-third of all fresh fruits are lost along the fruit supply chain before they are finally consumed. Postharvest losses occur mainly as a result of rough handling, poor packaging, lack of temperature management, and lack of public awareness on the need to maintain quality [1]. Meanwhile, fruits are harvested when mature and hard to avoid postharvest losses. The harvested fruits are usually stored and, as a result, ripen more and lose their stiffness over a short period. However, a change in color doesn’t guarantee the ripeness of most fruits; ripeness is often times estimated by touching the fruit and applying little force with one’s fingers. This method will lead to a further deterioration of the fruit’s quality (such as taste and appearance) and hence a change in its mechanical properties (such as stiffness or hardness).
