You might not know it to look at them, but cherries are actually related to plums, peaches and nectarines. They also belong to the rose family – believe it or not!
Optimizing cherry quality control and ripeness testing has become an essential task for anyone across the value chain in the fresh produce industry – from growers and pickers, to warehouses, marketing companies, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. Without improving the method of growing and harvesting cherries, we are inviting waste and standing in the way of increased productivity, profit, and control.
Recent advances in cherry quality control have revolutionized how stakeholders identify and manage cherry defects throughout the supply chain. Modern ripeness testing methods now incorporate sophisticated sensors and imaging technology that can detect subtle variations in color, texture, and internal composition that might escape visual inspection. These innovations are particularly crucial as cherry defects can develop rapidly and often manifest differently across varieties and growing conditions. By implementing comprehensive quality control protocols that combine traditional expertise with data-driven insights, producers can better predict optimal harvest times, reduce post-harvest losses, and ensure consistent ripeness levels. This systematic approach to quality assessment helps stakeholders identify potential issues before they become serious problems, ultimately leading to better management of common cherry defects and improved fruit quality from orchard to consumer.
Luckily, cherry evaluation just got a whole lot easier, with a cherry testing tool for a streamlined cherry standard across the board, using big data and analytics via the Clarifresh platform.
The following internal and external cherries attributes are commonly used for quality evaluation:
For the full list of attributes that the Clarifresh platform currently evaluates and recommended quality standards for each, download our free app now.
The Clarifresh platform also integrates with 3rd-party technology to evaluate external tomato attributes. Learn more here.