TasteMark Quality
Assurance Program

The TasteMark quality assurance program allows fruit to be sorted for sweetness using a non-destructive method, ensuring that only the best fruit meets the TaseMark grade. Apples that do meet the TasteaMark grade are labeled with the blue TasteMark sticker. TasteMark is highly accurate technology, as 95% of all fruit will be within 1.0 brix of the predetermined brix requirement. Brix is a unit representative of sugar content within fruit. The higher the brix, the sweeter and better tasting the apple will be.

How does TasteMark work?

A halogen lamp is used to shine infra-red light on the fruit as it passes along the packing line. Sweeter fruit will absorb more light at certain wavelengths than less sweet fruit. This variation is too subtle for the human eye, so a spectrometer is used and connected to a computer to view results. A spectrometer is an instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion. The results seen on the computer screen is the sweetness of every apple passing through the line. If the sweetness of the apple meets the TasteMark standard, it is sent to a special part of the packing line where the TasteMark label is applied. The fruit is not damaged or affected during this process.

Are all apple varieties packed in the TasteMark label?

No. We only pack the sweetest Red Delicious, Gala and Fuji apples in the TasteMark label.

What else can TasteMark do?

Besides for measuring the sweetness of fruit passing down the packing line, TasteMark technology can also measure other variables. The TasteMark camera heads can also measure firmness, internal flesh color and internal defects. Every facet of this technology works together to make sure that Sage is packing the very best fruit for its customers.

Check out the TasteMark website for more information: www.tastemark.com.