ADVANCED PRODUCTS FOR IN-HOME STORAGE OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

A family of product is being developed to provide consumer appliances that have the capability to maintain fruits, vegetables and other produce under optimal storage conditions in the home. Consumers are frustrated that produce items look inviting at the retail store or farmer's market, yet do not maintain quality for an acceptable time once in the home. They are further frustrated by their knowledge that packers and shippers have access to advanced technology for post-harvest storage, and yet little of that technology is available to homeowners. If advanced-technology consumer appliances were available, then one might reasonably expect that consumption of fresh produce would increase and consumer satisfaction with fruit and vegetable quality would improve. It is the object of this Phase II project to resolve outstanding research questions related to 1) optimal conditions for storing common commodities at the consumer level, including refinement of consumer definitions of quality, 2) development of a natural language - fuzzy logic human interface, 3) evaluation and selection of an environmental and quality assessment sensor set, including control algorithms, and 4) integration of biology, consumer control and sensor information into an engineering prototype.