Against a backdrop of increasingly demanding retailers and consumers, quality sorting has become one of the most strategic and complex processes in any fresh produce packing house. Ensuring consistent quality from one batch to the next requires technologies capable of analysing every piece of fruit accurately, providing objective selection criteria and enabling faster, more consistent decision-making.
To respond to this market evolution, MAF RODA Group has developed electronic quality systems incorporating artificial intelligence, with Globalscan 7 IA among its key technologies. This platform enhances fruit analysis capabilities and is complemented by dedicated software such as the Smart range for citrus and avocado, as well as QS software for cherries, blueberries and stone fruit. In addition to integrating AI into selection criteria, these solutions further improve the user experience by simplifying equipment operation and making quality management on the packing line more accessible.
Within this approach, Berryscan G7 stands out as an advanced electronic sorting system for blueberries. Equipped with multispectral cameras, 360-degree fruit rotation and AI-based technology, it can analyse parameters such as colour, diameter, morphology and external quality, while also detecting defects with greater precision. Its integration with BerryQS, the quality software developed for this segment, enhances system autonomy and enables more intuitive, accurate operation adapted to the specific needs of each packing house.
The latest evolution of the BerryQS software also incorporates functionalities designed to assess attributes linked to the consumer experience. Visitors will be able to discover this functionality at our stand during the next edition of Fruit Attraction. With this development, MAF RODA Group is moving towards more comprehensive blueberry grading, combining appearance, external condition and sensory attributes to promote greater consistency in the final product and help marketers respond to one of the most relevant demands in today’s market: offering fruit that is consistent, attractive and aligned with consumer expectations.
The other major innovation MAF RODA Group will present at this year’s Fruit Attraction is Fast Pack AI Lemon, a solution that represents a significant step forward in citrus packing automation.
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The packing stage, traditionally labour-intensive and particularly sensitive to changes in format, size or order specifications, is thus moving towards a more flexible, intelligent and autonomous model. In this area, Fast Pack AI Lemon combines artificial intelligence, machine vision, robotics and advanced automation to respond more quickly and accurately to the requirements of packing houses and their commercial customers.
The system can be configured using basic information about the packaging, fruit and size. Based on these data, the machine automatically maps the format using machine vision and determines the appropriate position for each lemon inside the pack. This ability to read, interpret and position the fruit makes Fast Pack AI Lemon particularly relevant for reducing reliance on manual adjustments, speeding up product changeovers and improving consistency in the final result on lines handling highly variable formats.
Beyond automating the packing movement itself, the innovation lies in the equipment’s ability to add intelligence to the process. Fast Pack AI Lemon does not simply perform a repetitive operation: it interprets the product, adapts the fruit arrangement to the required position and enables a more agile production response to changing orders. For fresh produce packing houses, this means moving towards more stable packing lines, with lower operational complexity, greater process control and an improved ability to meet increasingly demanding commercial specifications.
Its connectivity adds another dimension to the smart packing house concept: the machine can be monitored and controlled via a mobile application from anywhere within the facility, strengthening real-time management, improving the plant team’s ability to respond and contributing to a more flexible, traceable and connected operation.
As part of its end-of-line automation offering, Strauss, a subsidiary of the MAF RODA Group, will also present an automatic bagging, sealing and weighing unit for apples. The solution combines the insertion of fruit into polyethylene bags, sealing and weight control in a single process, while incorporating information such as variety and EAN code to strengthen traceability and optimise packing operations.
Fruit Attraction, an international showcase for smart packing houses
With this offering, MAF RODA Group strengthens its position as an international reference in post-harvest technology solutions, integrating artificial intelligence, robotics, machine vision and advanced automation into a smart packing house model designed to improve productivity, reduce operational complexity and raise quality standards across the fresh produce industry.
The trade fair will provide the setting for the company to demonstrate how these technologies are transforming every stage of the production process, from fruit reception through to dispatch. An integrated approach that places digitalisation, automation and applied intelligence at the heart of the evolution of fresh produce packing houses.
All these solutions can be seen on 6, 7 and 8 October at Fruit Attraction 2026, in Pavilion 10, Stand 10D21.
