An optical chlorophyll sensing system was developed to detect the chlo
rophyll content of bananas as the fruit ripens. This system shows a hi
gh correlation to other peel colour analysis methods (spectral analysi
s, tristimulus colorimeter analysis, and visual colour matching). Regr
ession equations were developed to predict the chlorophyll content of
banana peels, which is primarily responsible for the change in the col
our of the peel. This optical chlorophyll sensing system has the follo
wing characteristics: rapid response, simple operation, non-destructiv
e measurement, and low cost. The potential application of this system
in automatic monitoring of banana ripening is also discussed. (C) 1997
Elsevier Science B.V.