Simulated transit studies on tomatoes; effects of compressive load, container, vibration and maturity on mechanical damage

Summary. The compressive force-deformation characteristics of tomatoes in the green, turning and red stages were determined with a view to obtaining information on the rupture force for these fruits. This was followed by a simulated transit study which investigated the effects of vibration, compressive load and type of container on mechanically induced damage, using a fractional factorial experimental design. The force-deformation studies showed that ripening leads to a significant decrease in tomato bioyield point, toughness and firmness and an increase in compliance. In the simulated transit study, mechanical damage was significantly affected by the stage of tomato maturity, container type, vibration and compressive load. It was found that the appli-cation of uniform moderate pressure on the produce during transportation would reduce the incidence of impact damage. The implications of these findings in the design and general improvement of packaging containers used for conveying perishable agri-cultural produce in developing countries are discussed.