Abstract :

Fruits are usually graded according to their quality. Grading process is classifying fruits
according to size, shape, weight, color and ripening stage. Our goal is to get desired price and
upgrade quality and transportion of food products free from contaminants to the consumers
according to their taste. Consumers taste varies so to get this goal we done Sorting and Grading
some consumers prefer colour, some shape, some size and some shape.
Sorting and Grading are terms which frequently used interchangeably in the food processing
industry. Sorting is a separation based on a single measurable property of raw material units,
while grading is the assessment of the overall quality of a food using a number of attributes.
Grading of fresh product may also be defined as sorting according to quality, as sorting usually
upgrades the product (Brennan, 2006).Fresh market fruits like apples are graded into quality
categories according to their size, color and shape and to the presence of defects. The two first
quality criteria are actually automated on industrial graders, but fruits grading according to the
presence of defects is not yet efficient and consequently remains a manual operation, repetitive,
expensive and not reliable (Leemans and Destain, 2004). In recent ten years, operations in
grading systems for fruits and vegetables became highly automated with mechatronics, and
robotics technologies. Machine vision systems and near infrared inspection systems have been
introduced to many grading facilities with mechanisms for inspecting all sides of fruits and
vegetables (Kondo, 2009).
Traditionally grading of fruits is performed primarily by visual inspection using size as a
particular quality attribute. Image processing offers solution for automated fruit size grading to
provide accurate, reliable, consistent and quantitative information apart from handling large
volumes, which may not be achieved by employing human graders
Raw materials are sorted on the basis of weight, size, shape or colour.
1. Weight Sorting
3. Colour Sorting
2. Size Sorting
4. Shape Sorting
Manually Size Sorting by Hands
In our Homes fixed aperture Screen (sieve) are
used for size sorting and in food industry screens
of differentr dimensions are used.

Colour Sorting
Mostly, Food colours thats his appearance attract the consumers so there is a higher price for the
product. Manuallyl abour on inspection belts or Electric colour sorter that scan the colour are
used in industry.
Colour sorters are used for food processing industry, such as coffee, nuts, and oil crops. The goal
is the separation of items that are discoloured, toxic
(such as ergot), not as ripeas required, or still with hull
after dehulling such as sunflower seed. Compared with

manual sorting: machines saving labor and time, with higher high efficiency, and lower
processing costs
Shape Sorting
done for the removal of contaminants from the raw
material.
For example : Wheat is passed through shape sorters,
so that all the contaminants must removed having the
same size or weight but different shape.
Food Grading involves the inspection, assessment
and sorting of various foods regarding quality, freshness, legal conformity and market
value. Food grading often occurs by hand, in which foods are assessed and sorted. Machinery is
also used to grade foods, and may involve sorting products by size, shape and quality. For
example, machinery can be used to remove spoiled food from fresh product.
For example : Pea grading involves sorting peas by size, in which smallest peas are graded as the
highest quality for their tenderness. Brines may be used, in which peas are floated in them, from
which their density can be determined

Grading of Fruits and Vegetables

Grading of fruits and vegetables after harvesting is an essential step in post-harvest
management. Grading of fruits and vegetables on the basis of physical
characteristics like weight, size, colour, shape, specific gravity, and freedom from
diseases depending upon agrocliamatic conditions. The known methods of grading
of fruits and vegetables are manual grading , size grading.
Grading of fruits and vegetables in the fresh form for quality is essential, as the
people are becoming quality conscious day by day. Further, upon arrival of fruits
and vegetables at the processing centres, they should be graded strictly for quality.
The immature properly mature and over mature fruits and vegetable should be
sorted out for the best attributes.

Definition of Grading:
Grading is sorting of vegetables and fruits into different grades according to the
size, shape, colour, and volume to fetch high price in market.
For International market three general grades are considered as:
1. Extra class 2. Class 1st 3. Class 2nd.
1. Extra Class:
The extra class is of superior quality posses the shapes and colour of the variety
and without internal defect likely to affect the inherent texture and flavour. A 5%
tolerance is allowed for errors. It must be carefully presented taking into accounts
the uniformity of the produces in size colour, condition arrangement of the
produce in the package quality and appearances of the packing or pre-packing
material.
2. Class I:
Almost having a same quality is like the Extra Class except that a 10% tolerance is
allowed. Individual fruit is allowed a slight defect in shape, colour and miner skin
defect which do not affect the general appearance for keeping qualities. In packing
the size range may be wider and product need not always be arranged in the
package.
3. Class II:
This class product may exhibit some external or internal defects provided they are
fit for consumption while fresh. This class is best fitted for local or short distance
market. This category will satisfy the needs of customers who are not too
demanding and for whom price is more important than quality.

Advantages of Grading:
Losses the selling price due to presence of substandard products or specimen can
be

easily

avoided.

It increased marketing efficiency by facilitating buying and selling a produce

without
Grading

personal
enhanced

to

set

good

selection.
price

for

graded

products.

Heavy marketing cost in packing and transportation can be avoided by grading.

In grading diseased and defected specimen are not damaged due to contact of
iseased
By

specimens

grading

there

and

thus

gets

is

fairness

to

high
both

price
Buyers

in

market.

and

Sellers.

Properly graded vegetables and fruits are purchased by the consumer easily
without inspection.