Vol. 11, Special Issue 7 (2022)

Author(s):
Toleti Kavya Sree and Venkatachalapathy Natarajan

Abstract:
The currently popular adhesive stickers on freshly consumed produce like fruits and vegetables are not a reliable as they are simple to remove, not permanent, and easily counterfeited. Using laser technology agricultural produce can have engravings made directly on the surface, which could offer environmentally friendly and sustainable labeling. To observe the effects of the laser on the fruit, a variety of codes were used. A diversity of codes, including QR codes, DM codes, barcodes, alphanumeric codes, logos, and personalized codes, were engraved on the surface of the exotic dragon fruit. Laser etched fine and clear markings irrespective of the codes that can be used for a wide range of engraving. Laser treatment is a surface treatment, so this paper focused mostly on the surface morphology of the fruit using stereo zoom microscope and scanning electron microscope. The depth of penetration of the markings, skin strength, weight loss and shrinkage of the fruit after laser engraving were minimal and did not significantly differ between various types of codes. Therefore, depending on the purpose, any type of code can be used while still utilizing the benefits of laser labeling.