The season for harvesting cherries and other small fruits is in full swing in Italy.

So a precise yet non-destructive method is essential to determine the quality of the fruit.

And Enrico Turoni of TR Turoni, in the Italian province of Forlì in the Emilia-Romagna region, is pretty sure his company has the answer.

“Our approach is a non-destructive method for measuring the firmness of fruits such as cherries and blueberries,” he says.

“We've spent years researching technologies designed to help fruit and vegetable companies achieve optimal organoleptic quality.

“Since these products are sold at an appealing price per kilogram to the supply chain, they must reach the end market at the optimal degree of ripeness to meet consumer needs adequately.

“The firmness of the pulp is an important quality indicator for both fruits, and most consumers prefer crisp fruit.”

Enrico says thanks to advanced technology, his company can now quickly and accurately assess the firmness of certain types of fruit without invasive methods.

He says this is crucial – and a very important indicator of ripeness – because it directly affects the product’s shelf life.

“It is an important aspect to monitor from the time it is harvested to the point of sale,” Enrico adds.

“The primary feature of the instrument we are using is that it does not destroy the fruit being measured, which is in contrast to the penetrometer, which is a destructive measurement tool,” he says.

“TR Turoni offers a series of digital fruit firmness testers that quickly and easily measure cherry and blueberry pulp firmness.

“The instrument simulates the pressure of a finger on the fruit's pulp without breaking or penetrating it, providing the corresponding value.”