For farmers, making sure that only the most marketable goods leave the farm is crucial to business, and agriculturalists have long sought better ways to test and examine their produce. Now, USDA researchers have developed a laser taste-testing system that measures the sweetness, acidity, and texture of apples and peaches quickly and non-invasively. It’s the latter that’s critical: traditionally testing is done on samples taken from each batch, which reduces yield and sale volume.
This new technique promises better and more efficient quality controls, but will the cost be over-homogenization? Customers want a consistent product – an apple should taste like an apple, etc. – but at some point we could lose all the variation that is so exciting about good fresh produce: sometimes you bite into an apple that’s just amazing, and it’s a great surprise. If they all tasted that way, where’s the fun?

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