Fruits Selector: The Secret Behind Sweet Japanese Fruits
You don’t know how the fruit tastes until you eat it. But with this machine, which visualizes the taste, there is no more need to worry. The machine, named Fruits Selector is manufactured by Kubota Cooperation.
Just put a fruit on top this epoch-making machine, and it will display the sugar contents and acidity. Fruits Selector is used everywhere in Japan, at various Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) and markets. It is also used by the farmers, to check the sweetness of fruits. This article is about the machine, and its secrets.
Fruits Selector
Fruits Selector, manufactured by Kubota Cooperation, measures the sugar content of a fruit by irradiating it with a microscopic ray of light.
There are three types. A desktop type, a portable type with a shoulder strap, and a special type which also functions as a fruit sorting machine.
Mr. Suzuki Yoshiharu, a member of the group who developed Fruits Selector, talked about its strong points.
“First, you will be able to measure the sugar content without damaging the fruit.”
To measure the sugar content, the testers had to open a hole or extract the juice from the fruit. They couldn’t test all the fruits, and had to rely on the numbers drawn from the samples. Also, the samples had to be disposed as the result of the testing.
“The Fruit Selector can measure the sugar content of all your products.”
This machine won’t damage the fruit, so it can be sold afterwards. It can also measure everything that needs to be measured. The producers can also set higher prices on their products with high sugar contents. The Fruits Selector offers a wide variety of benefits.
How the Fruits Selector was Devised
The Fruits Selector has many appeals, but there were some difficulties in its development.
“We had to analyze the sugar content and acidity of the samples, which were brought from all over Japan. To improve the accuracy of the measurement, we also had to analyze various data regarding the types of fruit and its locality.
At the time, our company mainly handled machines related to rice cultivation, and the fruits market was not our strong suit. So we visited the farmers and JA (Agricultural Cooperatives) all over Japan, to endorse the Fruits Selector.”
The market has grown, and the machine is used by farmers and various JA and fruits shops all over Japan. Next, we asked the users about this machine.
A Must-have Machine
Kubota manages Kubota Farm, using its own machinery. It was established so that the company could research the actual problems involved in running a farm.
“There are some things you learn by being on the producer’s side. We try to think like a farmer, and solve the problems presented to us,” said Mr. Yamashita Taro of Nakakyushu Kubota. Mr. Yamashita is in charge of the Kubota Farm located in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Kubota’s technology, such as Senka Kobo, the Fruits Selector which also functions as a fruit sorting machine, and an automatic temperature control system, are employed at this farm, which raises tomatoes.
The market value of a tomato varies according to its sugar content. Kubota, by putting the sugar content into numbers, has helped the users in the field of quality management and also adding a new value to their products.
There are other users who has benefited from Fruits Selector, such as Mr. Hinokuni Yugyo, the owner of Hinokuniya, a fruits shop in Kyoto.
He vouched for the machine, saying that “with the Fruits Selector, we can guarantee the quality of the product, and recommend it to our customers.” Mr. Hinokuni also recommends the machine to the producers, as he believes it will help them in quality management.
The Fruits Selector is easy to use, and can be handled easily by anyone.
Kanda Manhiko is a broker company established in 1836, dealing in expensive fruits at the Ota Market in Tokyo. The company measures the sugar content of every peach they have purchased. Mr. Aoki Minoru, the president of the company, told us the reason.
“Measuring all the peaches is important, as the sugar content number in a single peach may differ by the place of measurement. We have to pick out the best from our stock to satisfy our customers, and by doing so, we can earn their trust.”
Fruits Selector not only measures the sugar contents of a fruit, but also supports the users in many ways.
The high quality of sweet-tasting Japanese fruits is supported by the producers, brokering companies who selects the fruits and technology such as the Fruits Selector.
Fruits Selector
http://www.rice-fruit.kubota.ne.jp/fruit/ (Japanese)
