The Use of Machine Learning to Assess the Impact of the Ozonation Process on Selected Mechanical Properties of Japanese Quince Fruits

In this study, selected mechanical properties of fruits of six varieties of Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica) were investigated. The influence of their storage time and the applied ozone at a concentration of 10 ppm for 15 and 30 min on water content, skin and flesh puncture force, deformation to puncture and puncture energy was determined. After 60 days of storage, the fruits of the tested varieties showed a decrease in the average water content from 97.94% to 94.39%. No influence of the ozonation process on the change in water content in the fruits was noted. The tests showed a significant influence of ozonation and storage time on the increase in the punch puncture force of the skin and flesh, deformation and puncture energy of the fruits. In order to establish the relationship between storage conditions for various varieties and selected mechanical parameters, a novel machine learning method was employed. The best model accuracy was achieved for energy, with a MAPE of 10% and a coefficient of correlation (R) of 0.92 for the test data set. The best metamodels for force and deformation produced slightly higher MAPE (12% and 17%, respectively) and R of 0.72 and 0.88.