Impact bruising in 3 apple pack arrangements

The total bruise volume and distribution of bruising for apples in impacted 5-layer packs was investigated for 3 different packing arrangements. Apples were arranged in packages either in vertical columns, in vertical planes in which each apple was supported on 2 others, or in compact form, with each apple resting in the depression formed by 3 others in a horizontal plane. Total bruise volume was found to be independent of packing arrangement. The distribution of bruising, measured as a percentage of the total volume on each interface in a 5-layered stack, was also found to be independent of pack arrangement. For the parallel-sided boxes used, no significant edge effects on bruise distribution were found. It is shown that the total bruise volume can be calculated from individual fruit properties and is the product of the bruise resistance coefficient and the input impact energy. The work reported demonstrates that complicated packing arrangements can be modelled as a single column stack for handling and transport investigations