Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 - (Page 25)

Laser Labeling LASER LABELING ay goodbye to those stubborn little stickers on fruits and vegetables at the supermarket. In the next few months, consumers might see a new type of label on fresh produce — branding that is etched directly onto the skin of fruits and vegetables by a new laser-beam technology. Greg Drouillard, a former University of Florida researcher who developed the laser marking system, said independent research throughout the United States shows that consumers like laser-imprinted identification on produce. “Many consumers complain about the difficulty of removing stickers from fruit, especially edible-skin fruit,” he said. “When they first see the laser marking on fresh produce, they want to know if it’s safe to eat, and research shows that it is.” Ed Etxeberria, a professor of horticultural sciences at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences who has been testing the technology on oranges and other fresh produce, said the laser-beam system — which is almost like tattooing fruits and vegetables with brand names, price codes and other information — eliminates the need for stickers that have to be picked or scraped off. “Instead of going through the trouble and expense of attaching thousands of little labels to fruits and vegetables in the packinghouse, each item can be marked or branded with a quick burst of laser light, producing legible words, logos and price-look-up codes,” Etxeberria said. He said that the laser-etching technology, which does not affect the taste news updates S or quality of fruits and vegetables, cuts a few millionths of an inch — or microns — into the skin of fresh produce, creating a pinhole dot. These tiny pinhole depressions form dot-matrix alphanumerical characters that show price-look-up or PLU codes required for electronic scanners in stores. The laser can also add other readable or coded information to improve food safety, security and traceability, such as harvest date, country of origin and brand identification. Etxeberria’s studies at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred are aimed at refining the technology for citrus, lemons, tomatoes and avocados as well as apples, peaches, peppers, potatoes and other produce. Preeti Sood, a UF graduate student in the horticultural sciences department, is assisting with the research. “We are refining the laser technology to reduce any potential problems such as water loss, decay or damage during shipping and storage,” Etxeberria said. “Tests in our lab, packing house and at the retail level show that the laser technology can be used on fruits and vegetables without any problems. The laser system offers producers many advantages over the use of old-fashioned adhesive tags that can foul processing equipment or come off produce at any stage of the post-harvest process.” Drouillard, who is now director of laser technology for Sunkist Growers Inc. in Fontana, Calif., said the laser marking system could eventually replace many of the 20,000 labeling machines now being used in the United States. Sunkist is providing equipment for Etxeberria’s research at UF’s Lake Alfred center. The vacuum motor used on current labeling machines uses enough power to run 12 lasers, and each laser unit can apply marking to fresh produce at the rate of 17 pieces per second or 1,200 per minute — about double the fastest sticker machines. He said the switch to lasers will reduce labeling costs by more than half while also improving food safety and speeding up scanning at the check-out counter. “The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing Sunkist’s petition for approval of the laser labeling process, following more than two years of testing to certify the technology is safe and effective,” Drouillard said. “We hope to have their approval in the near future.” n – chuck woods For more information, contact: ed etxeberria (863) 956-1151 greg drouillard eje@crec.ifas.ufl.edu (909) 782-6282 gdrouillard@hotmail.com Ed Etxeberria, left, and Greg Drouillard adjust laser-labeling equipment at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. photo by michelle weger IMPACT | Spring 2008 25

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 Contents A Big Boost for Biofuels Top Priority Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture Eliminating the Evil Weevil Invasive Pest Defeating Resistant Roaches Biodiesel Boon User-Friendly Updates for FAWN Flat-Out Great for the Grill! Laser Labeling Cashing in on Caviar Saving Water with Soil-Moisture Sensors Spotlight IFAS Development News

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

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