Effects of Rice Polishing Duration and Tomato Maturity on their Colorimetric Characteristics

Abstract

Optical sensing techniques have emerged as vital tools for assessing the quality of agricultural products. In this study, an optical sensing analysis of the effects of rice polishing duration and tomato maturity on colorimetric characteristics was conducted at the Physical Properties and Quality Evaluation of Agricultural Products Laboratory, located at the National Storage Training Center (CENTREINAR), at the Federal University of Viçosa. The effects of five polishing durations of 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 seconds, as well as three maturity stages of tomato, including green, moderately red, and very red, on the physical appearance of the two products were analyzed. The colorimetric properties of the products were determined using a Miniscan XE Plus machine, and the relationship between these properties was analyzed using regression analysis to assess the effects of rice polishing time and the maturity stage of tomatoes on their colorimetric properties. The results of the analysis revealed a strong linear relationship between the products and their colorimetric properties, with R² values of 0.9955, 0.9912, 0.9983, and 0.9758, respectively, for Total Color Difference (ΔE), Darkness Index (IE), Yellowing Index (YI), and Whitening Index (WI) for tomatoes, and 0.8976 (ΔE), 0.9563 (IE), 0.9348 (YI), and 0.9268 (WI) for rice. This research provides valuable insights for the agricultural sector, specifically in the quality assessment and processing optimization of rice and tomatoes, which ultimately helps enhance product standards and consumer satisfaction.

Keywords: Optical sensing, quality assessment, polished rice, tomatoes, non-destructive testing.