A research team comprising scientists from the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) and Nagoya University has discovered a way to determine the sugar content levels of a white strawberry without damaging it.
The researchers shined near-infrared light used for remote control devices at the fruit, then analyzed the wavelengths that were reflected back. The technology can also be used to determine the sugar content levels of red strawberries.
While the technique helps determine the sweetness levels of white strawberries, which can be difficult because they do not change colors when ripe, "there are also red strawberries that aren't sweet," said Hayato Seki, a researcher from NARO. "As this technology evolves, the hope is to further elevate the quality of Japan's strawberries."
Before such technology, the most common way to determine the sweetness of a strawberry was to crush it up and analyze the juice created.
Read more at The Japan Times