Integrated Physical–Mechanical Characterization of Fruits for Enhancing Post-Harvest Quality and Handling Efficiency
Quality and mechanical resilience are crucial for reducing losses in fruit production and for supporting food chains. Indeed, integrating empirical data with rheological models bridges gaps in fruit processing equipment design. Therefore, the objective of this research is to analyze the relationship...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/14/2521 |
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| author | Mohamed Ghonimy Raed Alayouni Garsa Alshehry Hassan Barakat Mohamed M. Ibrahim |
| author_facet | Mohamed Ghonimy Raed Alayouni Garsa Alshehry Hassan Barakat Mohamed M. Ibrahim |
| author_sort | Mohamed Ghonimy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Quality and mechanical resilience are crucial for reducing losses in fruit production and for supporting food chains. Indeed, integrating empirical data with rheological models bridges gaps in fruit processing equipment design. Therefore, the objective of this research is to analyze the relationship between the mechanical and physical properties of seven economically important fruits—nectarine, kiwi, cherry, apple, peach, pear, and apricot—to assess their mechanical behavior and post-harvest quality. Standardized compression, creep, and puncture tests were conducted to establish mechanical parameters, such as rupture force, elasticity, and deformation energy. Physical characteristics including size, weight, density, and moisture content were also measured. The results indicated significant differences among the various categories of fruits; apples and pears were most suitable for mechanical harvesting and long storage periods, whereas cherries and apricots were least resistant and susceptible to injury. Correlations were high among the physical measurements, tissue firmness, and viscoelastic properties, thereby confirming structural properties’ contribution in influencing fruit quality and handling efficiency. The originality of this research is in its holistic examination of physical and mechanical properties under standardized testing conditions, thus offering an integrated framework for enhancing post-harvest operations. These findings offer practical insights for optimizing harvesting, packaging, transportation, and quality monitoring strategies based on fruit-specific mechanical profiles. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6f5ab4715577445eb6f0785bfc20265e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-6f5ab4715577445eb6f0785bfc20265e2025-08-20T02:45:56ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-07-011414252110.3390/foods14142521Integrated Physical–Mechanical Characterization of Fruits for Enhancing Post-Harvest Quality and Handling EfficiencyMohamed Ghonimy0Raed Alayouni1Garsa Alshehry2Hassan Barakat3Mohamed M. Ibrahim4Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, College of Agriculture and Food, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Food, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Food, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, EgyptQuality and mechanical resilience are crucial for reducing losses in fruit production and for supporting food chains. Indeed, integrating empirical data with rheological models bridges gaps in fruit processing equipment design. Therefore, the objective of this research is to analyze the relationship between the mechanical and physical properties of seven economically important fruits—nectarine, kiwi, cherry, apple, peach, pear, and apricot—to assess their mechanical behavior and post-harvest quality. Standardized compression, creep, and puncture tests were conducted to establish mechanical parameters, such as rupture force, elasticity, and deformation energy. Physical characteristics including size, weight, density, and moisture content were also measured. The results indicated significant differences among the various categories of fruits; apples and pears were most suitable for mechanical harvesting and long storage periods, whereas cherries and apricots were least resistant and susceptible to injury. Correlations were high among the physical measurements, tissue firmness, and viscoelastic properties, thereby confirming structural properties’ contribution in influencing fruit quality and handling efficiency. The originality of this research is in its holistic examination of physical and mechanical properties under standardized testing conditions, thus offering an integrated framework for enhancing post-harvest operations. These findings offer practical insights for optimizing harvesting, packaging, transportation, and quality monitoring strategies based on fruit-specific mechanical profiles.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/14/2521fruitqualitycompressionrupturepost-harvest qualityfood supply |
| spellingShingle | Mohamed Ghonimy Raed Alayouni Garsa Alshehry Hassan Barakat Mohamed M. Ibrahim Integrated Physical–Mechanical Characterization of Fruits for Enhancing Post-Harvest Quality and Handling Efficiency Foods fruit quality compression rupture post-harvest quality food supply |
| title | Integrated Physical–Mechanical Characterization of Fruits for Enhancing Post-Harvest Quality and Handling Efficiency |
| title_full | Integrated Physical–Mechanical Characterization of Fruits for Enhancing Post-Harvest Quality and Handling Efficiency |
| title_fullStr | Integrated Physical–Mechanical Characterization of Fruits for Enhancing Post-Harvest Quality and Handling Efficiency |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrated Physical–Mechanical Characterization of Fruits for Enhancing Post-Harvest Quality and Handling Efficiency |
| title_short | Integrated Physical–Mechanical Characterization of Fruits for Enhancing Post-Harvest Quality and Handling Efficiency |
| title_sort | integrated physical mechanical characterization of fruits for enhancing post harvest quality and handling efficiency |
| topic | fruit quality compression rupture post-harvest quality food supply |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/14/2521 |
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