BIO

Ojasvini is a second-year undergraduate student at Florida State University, hailing from Port St. Lucie, FL. She is currently working on the pre-med track, as her passion lies in providing healthcare to underserved populations. Off-campus, she's an avid badminton player and a skilled origami artist. She has a passion for music and playing the piano as well. She is enrolled in an Undergraduate Research Program Opportunity to enhance her research experience in biology, nutrition, quality of food, and food safety. She hopes to further her research to increase awareness in the world about healthy eating and healthy being.

Predicting Avocado Shelf Life with a Handheld Raman Spectrometer to Combat Food Waste

Abstract

Food waste is a prevalent concern due to global consumption levels and the finite shelf life of perishable food. It is crucial to consider the shelf life of foods to effectively manage their distribution and retail sales within the freshness window. This study focused on avocados which are well known for their health benefits yet concerned for their short shelf life. The overall aim was to establish a user-friendly detector to predict the ripeness stage of avocados and their remaining shelf life. A total of 80 avocado samples were tested for chemical profiles such as lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates using a handheld Raman spectrometer. The change in ripeness was validated by the standard colorimeter and texture analyzer. The series of measurements over a week demonstrated a gradual decrease in lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and pigments in avocado samples over time as the fruits continued to ripen. Further studies could focus on validating the prediction performance of the handheld Raman spectrometer in various avocado varieties, storage temperatures, and storage time.

Keywords: Spectrometer, Food Waste, Shelf Life