Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate generally to plant extract compositions and methods to isolate fatty acid esters derived from crosslinked polyesters. Particular embodiments are directed to methods of preparing compositions of fatty acid esters by treating crosslinked polyesters or other crosslinked networks with an acid and an alcohol.

Abstract: The disclosed technology provides for determining infection in food items using image data of the food items under ultra-violet (UV) light. A method includes performing object detection on the image data to identify a bounding box around each of the food items in the image data, determining, for each food item, an infection presence metric by applying a model to the bounding box, the model being trained using image training data of other food items under UV light, the image training data being annotated based on previous identifications of a first portion of the other food items having infection features and a second portion having healthy quality features, and determining, based on a determination that the infection presence metric for each of the food items indicates presence of an infection, an infection coverage metric for the food item.

Abstract: Described herein are methods of preparing compounds derived from triglycerides or condensation polymers such as polyesters and/or polyamides. The methods may include subjecting triglyceride or condensation polymer containing matter to mechanical processing in the presence of a nucleophile.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate generally to plant extract compositions and methods to isolate cutin-derived monomers, oligomers, and mixtures thereof for application in agricultural coating formulations, and in particular, to methods of preparing plant extract compositions that include functionalized and non-functionalized fatty acids and fatty esters (as well as their oligomers and mixtures thereof), which are substantially free from accompanying plant-derived compounds (e.g., proteins, polysaccharides, phenols, lignans, aromatic acids, terpenoids, flavonoids, carotenoids, alkaloids, alcohols, alkanes, and aldehydes) and can be used in agricultural coating formulations.

Abstract: A treatment system, including a conveyor bed configured to transport a plurality of products; a brushing device located along the conveyor bed and having one or more brushes that include a first antimicrobial compound; a surface treatment device including a lamp configured to emit light of a peak wavelength directed toward a portion of the conveyor bed; and a coating device configured to deliver a coating mixture onto the plurality of products on the conveyor bed.

Abstract: Described herein are methods of preparing cutin-derived monomers, oligomers, or combinations thereof from cutin-containing plant matter. The methods can include heating the cutin-derived plant matter in a solvent at elevated temperature and pressure. In some preferred embodiments, the methods can be carried out without the use of additional acidic or basic species.

Abstract: Described herein are methods of sanitizing and preserving produce and other agricultural products, for example for consumption as Ready-to-Eat. The methods can comprise treating the products with a sanitizing agent and forming a protective coating over the products.

Abstract: Compositions for forming protective coatings on, e.g., agricultural products, can form a lamellar structure on the surface of the agricultural product that forms a barrier to, e.g., water and gas.

Abstract: An application system for forming protective coatings over perishable items, including: a bed including a plurality of rollers, wherein each of the rollers is configured to rotate at a predetermined rotational rate, thereby causing the perishable items on the bed to rotate; one or more sprayers over a first portion of the bed; one or more blowers over a second portion of the bed; a mixing system configured to prepare a mixture including a coating agent in a solvent; and a liquid delivery system connected inline between the mixing system and the one or more sprayers.

Abstract: Presented are compositions that can be used as protective coatings for agricultural (e.g., food) substrates. The compositions can comprise a compound of Formula I: and an additive, wherein the variables m, n, q, r, Ra, Rb, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12 and R13 are defined herein. The protective coatings formed from the compositions can be used to prevent food spoilage due to, for instance, moisture loss, oxidation, or infection by a foreign pathogen.

Abstract: Presented are compositions that can be used as protective coatings for agricultural (e.g., food) substrates. The compositions can comprise a compound of Formula I: and an additive, wherein the variables m, n, q, r, Ra, Rb, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12 and R13 are defined herein. The protective coatings formed from the compositions can be used to prevent food spoilage due to, for instance, moisture loss, oxidation, or infection by a foreign pathogen.

Abstract: Described herein are conveyor systems and application units which can be used to transport and simultaneously treat, or to facilitate treatment and inspection of produce, agricultural products, or other items. The conveyor systems and application units can be configured to allow products to be simultaneously rotated as they are moved along a packing line, which can facilitate the uniform application of spray coatings and/or allow the products to be uniformly blow dried while they are moved. Exemplary conveyor systems and application units can include a bed formed of a plurality of rollers and a rotation inducing device that causes the rollers to rotate while they are laterally transported, thereby causing the products lying on top of the bed to rotate during transport.

Abstract: A system includes a memory and at least one processor to acquire a hyperspectral image of an object by an imaging device, the hyperspectral image of the object comprising a three-dimensional set of images of the object, each image in the set of images representing the object in a wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum, normalize the hyperspectral image of the object, select a region of interest in the hyperspectral image, the region of interest comprising at least one image in the set of images, extract spectral features from the region of interest in the hyperspectral image, and compare the spectral features from the region of interest with a plurality of images in a training set to determine particular characteristics of the object.

Abstract: A system includes a memory and at least one processor to acquire a hyperspectral image of a food object by an imaging device, the hyperspectral image of the food object comprising a three-dimensional set of images of the food object, each image in the set of images representing the food object in a wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum, normalize the hyperspectral image of the food object, select a region of interest in the hyperspectral image, the region of interest comprising a subset of at least one image in the set of images, extract spectral features from the region of interest in the hyperspectral image, and compare the spectral features from the region of interest with a plurality of images in a training set to determine particular characteristics of the food object and determine that the hyperspectral image indicates a foreign object.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate generally to plant extract compositions and methods to isolate fatty acid esters derived from crosslinked polyesters. Particular embodiments are directed to methods of preparing compositions of fatty acid esters by treating crosslinked polyesters or other crosslinked networks with an acid and an alcohol.

Abstract: A method for predicting a likelihood of infection in a set of similarly sourced plant products is disclosed. A subset of plant products is selected from the set of plant products. For each plant product in the subset, a level of expression of one or more infection biomarkers, and optionally a level of expression of one more housekeeping biomarkers, are determined. A set of biomarker expression statistics for the subset of plant products is determined based on the determined levels of expression of the one or more infection biomarkers and optionally the levels of expression of the one or more housekeeping biomarkers for each plant product in the subset. A likelihood of infection in the set of plant products is then predicted based at least in part on the determined set of biomarker expression statistics for the subset of plant products.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate generally to plant extract compositions and methods to isolate cutin-derived monomers, oligomers, and mixtures thereof for application in agricultural coating formulations, and in particular, to methods of preparing plant extract compositions that include functionalized and non-functionalized fatty acids and fatty esters (as well as their oligomers and mixtures thereof), which are substantially free from accompanying plant-derived compounds (e.g., proteins, polysaccharides, phenols, lignans, aromatic acids, terpenoids, flavonoids, carotenoids, alkaloids, alcohols, alkanes, and aldehydes) and can be used in agricultural coating formulations.

Abstract: Described herein are methods of preparing cutin-derived monomers, oligomers, or combinations thereof from cutin-containing plant matter. The methods can include heating the cutin-derived plant matter in a solvent at elevated temperature and pressure. In some preferred embodiments, the methods can be carried out without the use of additional acidic or basic species.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate generally to plant extract compositions and methods to isolate cutin-derived monomers, oligomers, and mixtures thereof for application in agricultural coating formulations, and in particular, to methods of preparing plant extract compositions that include functionalized and non-functionalized fatty acids and fatty esters (as well as their oligomers and mixtures thereof), which are substantially free from accompanying plant-derived compounds (e.g., proteins, polysaccharides, phenols, lignans, aromatic acids, terpenoids, flavonoids, carotenoids, alkaloids, alcohols, alkanes, and aldehydes) and can be used in agricultural coating formulations.

Abstract: A system includes a memory and at least one processor to acquire a hyperspectral image of an object by an imaging device, the hyperspectral image of the object comprising a three-dimensional set of images of the object, each image in the set of images representing the object in a wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum, normalize the hyperspectral image of the object, select a region of interest in the hyperspectral image, the region of interest comprising at least one image in the set of images, extract spectral features from the region of interest in the hyperspectral image, and compare the spectral features from the region of interest with a plurality of images in a training set to determine particular characteristics of the object.