Citrus fruit must be harvested when they are mature (ripe) and quickly processed so as not to compromise quality or incur yield losses due to fruit drop, pests, and diseases. Citrus fruit is non-climacteric and cannot be matured after it has been detached from the tree. Maturity is rated directly by measuring accumulated brix and titratable acidity both of which are important juice quality characteristics. The State of Florida defines maturity for oranges at a minimum brix of 9%. There are further definitions of processed orange juice by the FDA which define grades and products specifications. The brix and titratable acidity (TA) measurements in the field must be accurate to inform timely harvesting decisions. While there are available tools in the market to measure TA , brix or both parameters, they provide approximate values that are difficult to ascertain or may require complex machines, reagents and skilled end-users. Our goal is to identify or develop tools which can accurately measure TA and brix in the field expediently without requiring expert training.
Solution Requirements
Must-Haves
Nice-to-Haves
Past work and Out of Scope List
We have previously explored color-indicator acid-base tools to measure titratable acidity (TA). Our experience from this is the tools do not meet our needs because they do not have the requisite TA ranges, ph does not correlate well to TA, or require complex machines and reagents that cannot be easily used in the field. Moreover, we would like the flexibility to travel to regions of interest, and tools relaying on liquid reagents could be present problems.
Preferred Collaboration Types
PepsiCo is open to a range of collaboration types, but proof of concept is required in either the beverage industry or an adjacent industry (eg pharmaceuticals)
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
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