Ablating data onto fruit with a laser can result in the skin being vaporized and the product deteriorating. On light-colored citrus fruit ablation produces insufficient contrast to read or image unless enhanced by a food dye. To overcome these limitations, Sherwood Technology (Widnes, UK; www.sherwoodtech.com) has developed a system that uses a low-power CO₂ laser to mark, but not ablate, fruit with high-contrast print containing data such as sell-by dates, country of origin, or product look-up codes. The company's DataLase Edible technology ends the need to apply individual fruit labels, which may fall off or harbor bacteria.

After an edibile coating is sprayed on the fruit, the scribing laser images graphics on the surface of the fruit. The company's "edible composition" can also be applied to pharmaceutical tablets and confectionary coatings.

Mon Nov 21 05:00:00 CST 2005