The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of hyperspectral near-infrared (NIR) reflectance imaging techniques for detecting cuticle cracks on tomatoes. A hyperspectral NIR reflectance imaging system that analyzed the spectral region of 1000-1700 nm was used to obtain hyperspectral reflectance images of 224 tomatoes: 112 with and 112 without cracks along the stem-scar region. The hyper...

Consumption of tomato products has been associated with decreased risk of some cancer types, and the tomato antioxidant, lycopene, is thought to play an important role in the observed health effects. In this study, four carotenoids, trans-lycopene, phytofluene, phytoene, and zeta-carotene, were quantified in tomato products. Samples of raw tomatoes, tomato juice after hot break scalder, and fin...

This study aims at contributing to a better understanding of the linkage between supply chain performance and possible performance improvement with respect to food quality and safety. Therefore, the paper addresses the question whether the level of collaborative planning and close supply chain relationships could help improve quality and safety of organic supply chains. The study was conducted ...

Sulfur (S) serves many purposes in the ruminant animal. It is a component of amino acids methionine and cystine, as well as B-vitamins, biotin and thiamine and a number of other organic compounds. Elemental S, sulfates, sulfuric acid, and hydrogen sulfide all may be present in ruminant nutrition. Elemental S, sulfates, and sulfuric acid are relatively non-toxic. Hydrogen sulfide, however, is hi...

One of the major goals of the Sustainable Agriculture Farming initiatives at UC Davis is to provide information about the feasibility of adopting conservation tillage and cover cropping at the farm level. The project includes two tillage schemes: standard tillage (ST) and conservation tillage (CT), and three farming methods: conventional, organic, and winter legume cover crop. All three product...

Introduction Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), also known as dimethyl sulfone (DMSO 2 ) and methyl sulfone, is an organic sulfur-containing compound that occurs naturally in a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and animals including humans. A white, odorless, slightly bitter-tasting crystalline substance containing 34-percent elemental sulfur, MSM is a normal oxidative metabolite product of dime...

The consumption of organic tomatoes (ORTs) reduces the risk of harmful effects to humans and the environment caused by exposure to toxic agrochemicals. In this study, we used the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) of wing spots in Drosophila melanogaster to evaluate the genotoxicity of ORT and the effect of cotreatment with ORT on the genotoxicity of Doxorubicin(®) (DXR, a cancer c...