Measurement and evaluation of the effect of vibration on fruits in transit—Review

Abstract

Mechanical vibration is a prominent cause of produce damage in many postharvest fruit supply chains. Knowledge on the causes, occurrence, and mechanistic relationship of vibration to produce damage is important for systematic development of remedial actions. This review identifies and discusses the critical factors of vibration, their implications for fruit quality, and possible improvements to addressing the issue of fruit quality deterioration. Frequently reported mechanical damage types caused by vibration on fruits are scuffing, fruit rub, and skin bruising. A wide range of factors can significantly affect the vibration intensity and thus resultant mechanical damage. Critical frequencies of vibration in the range of 0 to 10 Hz, attributed to peak energy levels in the power spectrum, cause substantial damage in fruits. Greater vertical acceleration and transmission of vibration to the higher tiers in a stacked column of packages result in increased mechanical damage. Fruit packages stacked in the rear positions of trucks are also affected more by vibration. Produce transported in leaf spring trucks has a higher risk of damage when compared with air‐ride suspension trucks. Additionally increased road roughness, vehicle speed, and duration of exposure to vibration proliferate fruit damage. The effects of different inner packing methods and different package types on mechanical damage are less frequently investigated. More accurate characterization of mechanical damage caused by vibration and shocks and its reproduction by enhanced simulation methods will contribute to optimizing damage prevention mechanisms and further improving the quality of fruits in transit within the postharvest supply chain.