Comprehensive Characterization of Date Palm Fruit ‘Mejhoul’ (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Using Image Analysis and Quality Attribute Measurements

An in-depth determination of date fruit properties belonging to a given variety can have an impact on their consumption, processing, and storage. The objective of this study was to characterize date fruits of the ‘Mejhoul’ variety using (i) objective and non-destructive image-analysis features and (ii) measurements of physicochemical parameters. Based on images acquired using a digital camera, more than 1600 texture parameters from the individual color channels L, a, b, R, G, B, X, Y, and Z, and 40 geometric characteristics (including linear dimensions and shape factors for each fruit), were determined. Additionally, pomological features, water content, water activity, color parameters (L*, a*, b*), total soluble solids (TSS), reducing sugars, and total sugars were measured. As a main result, the application of machine vision allowed for the correct detection of ‘Mejhoul’ dates and the determination of the image features. The differences in the values of the histogram’s mean (HMean texture) for individual color channels were determined. The ‘Mejhoul’ date fruit images in color channel a (aHMean equal to 145.88) and color channel b (bHMean: 145.49) were the brightest, and in channel Z they were the darkest (ZHMean: 4.23). Due to the determination of the elliptic shape factor (W1) of 1.000 and the circular shape factor (W2) of 0.110, the elliptical shape of the fruit was confirmed. On the other hand, ‘Mejhoul’ dates were characterized by a length of 47.3 mm, a diameter of 26.4 mm, flesh thickness of 6.25 mm, total soluble solids of 62.1%, water content of 28.0%, water activity of 0.652, hardness of 694 g, reducing sugars of 13.8%, and total sugars of 58.8%. Due to the determination of many image features and other parameters, this paper presents the first comprehensive characterization of ‘Mejhoul’ date fruits using a non-destructive imaging technique linked to some physicochemical quality attributes.