1.
Invisible Forces:
Innovative Uses of Gas
Analysis in Cold Storage,
Ripening and Food
Innovation
F-900, F-920, F-940, F-950, & F-960
Gas Analyzers
Webinar and Live Q&A
We will begin the webinar at 8:00 AM (PST) Sharp

2.
Suzy is the Distributor Manager at
Felix Instruments. She has been with
CID Bio-Science and Felix
Instruments for 8 years.
Suzy Truitt
Webinar Moderator

3.
Housekeeping
For ALL questions, please use the
Q&A function in Zoom.
Please refrain from using the Chat
function (highlighted in orange)
unless you are experiencing technical
difficulties – such as lack of sound or
video.
Suzy will be posting all relevant links
and any extra information needed in
the Chat.
Chat Box Q&A

4.
Galen is an Application Scientist at
Felix Instruments. He holds a BSc in
Biochemistry and a MSc degree in
Food Science from Michigan State
University. He is an IFT Certified
Food Scientist and has previously
managed an analytical food
laboratory and worked as a food
safety consultant.
Galen George, MS, CFS
Webinar Presenter

5.
Eric is an Application Scientist at Felix
Instruments. He has a B.S. in Biohealth
Sciences from Oregon State University.
He has worked as a Chemist and DNA
Analyst in the dietary supplement and
natural products industry. He has
experience in identity testing, product
specification and overall label
compliance. Most recently he worked as
a Food Analyst testing for food fraud and
performing shelf-life studies, prior to
joining the CID Bioscience and Felix
Instruments team.
Eric Munoz-Garcia
Webinar Presenter

6.
AGENDA
Felix Instruments
Live Q&A session with a
Felix Instruments
Application Scientist
Q&A
Why is ethylene important?
Guest Speaker – Greg from
Catalytic Generators
Ethylene & Gas Analysis
Introductions and Company
Overview
Overview
Current technologies
overview. How the F-9XX
series of gas analyzers
works. Best practices and
use cases.
F-9XX & Best Practices

7.
Founded six years ago, Felix Instruments applies more than 30 years of experience
in plant research instrumentation to create tools for the agricultural industry
We create non-destructive measurement tools that help commercial agriculture produce a more consistent, higher quality product. Our instruments are known for their
ability to produce instant, accurate results, their durability, portability, and for data transparency. All of our product line is engineered, tested, and manufactured under
the same roof at our headquarters in Camas, Washington, USA.
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Felix Instruments

8.
GAS ANALYSIS
OVERVIEW
3 critical gases for maintaining optimum produce quality:
• Oxygen (O2)
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
• Ethylene (C2H4)
3 methods for measuring gas concentration:
• Gas Chromatography (GC)
• Optical (Laser) Sensors
• Electrochemical Sensors

9.
Gas chromatography (GC) is one of the
most common methods used for
measuring ethylene and other
headspace gases. Fundamentally, GC
can separate components from complex
mixtures by using a specific column and
then analyze and quantify them
individually
CURRENT TECH:
GAS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
1
Advantages:
• Small sample requirements
• High selectivity, good at separating complex
mixtures and compounds
• Fast analysis (minute time scale)
• Easy to operate (fully automated)
• Portable GCs available for field measurements
Disadvantages:
• Limited sensitivity
• Requires a pre-concentration step for
better sensitivity and optimized plant
conditions
• High costs for the highest performing
systems

10.
When light interacts with ethylene
molecules it can be absorbed, emitted or
scattered. Ethylene, like many other
molecular gases, has its specific absorption
characteristics, which are the strongest in
the mid-infrared (IR) region; the so-called
fingerprint region (2–12 µm). By knowing
the absorption strength of ethylene at a
specific IR light frequency, the molecular
ethylene concentration can be quantified.
CURRENT TECH:
OPTICAL (LASER)
2
Advantages:
• Highest sensitivity (below nL/L)
• Fastest response time (seconds)
• Good selectivity
• Real-time monitoring
• Compact, transportable and user-friendly
Disadvantages:
• Expensive
• Single gas detection

11.
An electrochemical sensor transforms the
concentration of a gas into a detectable
physical signal such as: electrical current,
resistance, etc. In detail, the target gas
undergoes a chemical reaction with the
active sensing material, which in the
presence of an electrical circuit will
generate a change in an electrical
parameter
CURRENT TECH:
ELECTROCHEMICAL
3
Advantages:
• Ethylene gas specific in a μL/L down to tens of nL/L range
• Good repeatability and accuracy
• Relatively fast response time to ethylene (below 1 min) and recovery time of
minutes
• Low power consumption
• Lightweight (2.5–10 kg)
• Low cost
• Portable and easy to use in laboratory or field conditions
Disadvantages:
• Sensitive to interfering gases
• Sensitivity to temperature and humidity changes
• Limited temperature range
• Requires oxygen to operate correctly
• Limited shelf-life
• Reduced lifetime when continuously exposed to higher ethylene concentrations

12.
President & CEO - Catalytic Generators
Greg has been involved in the fresh fruit
industry since 1985 with experience in the
marketing, sales and postharvest handling
of bananas, tomatoes and tropical fruits.
Specifically, he has deep expertise in the
ripening process of these fruits and enjoys
improving and creating new ethylene
application technologies.
Greg Akins
Catalytic Generators

13.
ETHYLENE
C2H4
B O T H G O O D A N D B A D !
• Simple hydrocarbon…where does it come from?
• Natural plant hormone: fruits respond to it
• Grow globally & ripen regionally
• Causes ripening and decay

14.
FRUITS THAT ARE
PREDOMINANTLY
RIPENED WITH ETHYLENE
• Avocado
• Banana
• Tomato (field-grown)

15.
OTHER FRUITS THAT
BENEFIT FROM
ETHYLENE APPLICATION
• Citrus
• Kiwifruit
• Mango
• Papaya
• Honeydew Melon
• Nectarines/Peaches
• Plums
• Pears --- case study

16.
GREENHOUSE
TOMATOES
• Decreased time for ripening &
improved uniformity of the last pick
• Improvement upon former practice –
Ethephon

17.
ETHYLENE FOR
ORGANICS
“ TROPICAL FRUIT”

18.
SOURCES OF
EXTERNAL
ETHYLENE
Gas Cylinders
• 100% pure
• Ethylene is explosive
• 4% mix
Ethylene Generators

19.
ETHYLENE
GENERATORS
• Safer
• Easy-to-use: made on site, as needed
• No explosive possibility
• Worldwide

20.
CASE STUDY 1
US Retail Store
Distribution Center

21.
CASE STUDY 2
Australian Ripening

22.
RIPENING
PROCEDURES
Go to:
https://www.catalyticgenerators.com/ripening_tips/
The recipe:
• Ethylene
• Time
• Temperature
• Humidity
• Ventilation (CO2 & O2)

23.
RIPENING GASES – WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT
•Ethylene is made by fruits and sensed by fruits
•Ethylene can quickly lead to decay and spoilage in sensitive commodities
•Ethylene can be added to stimulate ripening or degreening
C2H4: Many fruits ripen
faster with ethylene
present
•Determine metabolic activity by measuring CO2
•Artificially elevating CO2 through modified atmosphere packaging or in controlled atmosphere
storage can slow respiration rates, making produce last longer.
CO2: Produce respires
carbon dioxide as it breaks
down sugars for energy.
•Decreased O2 can extend lifetimes of produce during long-term storage
•At very low O2, anaerobic respiration occurs, damaging produce and causing spoilage
O2: Produce needs oxygen
to maintain cellular function

24.
HANDHELD GAS ANALYZERS

25.
PolarCept™
Patented water filter removes competing
gases from the sample gas stream

26.
The F-900 Portable Ethylene Analyzer
Most sensitive ethylene gas analyzer
▪PPB - Down to 25 ppb (+/- 5%)
▪25 ppb = 0.025 ppm
▪PPM - Up to 200 ppm

27.
Applications
▪ Continuous monitoring
▪ Storage facility, greenhouse
▪ Inspection device
▪ CA rooms, containers
▪ Fluxes from fruits and leaves
▪ Pre-harvest, post-harvest
▪ Headspace accumulation
▪ GC Emulation Mode

28.
F-920 Check It!
Gas Analyzer
• Measures CO2 and O2
• 0-100% range for both sensors
• Displays results in under 10 seconds
• Ideal for MAP bags or inspection
• Simple, fast operation for scenarios where
ethylene isn’t a concern

29.
F-940 Store It!
Gas Analyzer
• CO2: 0-100%
• O2: 0-100%
• Ethylene: 0-10 ppm
• Lower detection limit: 0.1 ppm
• Ideal for measurements of ethylene-
sensitive commodities

30.
F-950
Three Gas
Analyzer
• CO2: 0-100%
• O2: 0-100%
• Ethylene: 0-200 ppm
• Lower detection limit: 0.5 ppm
• Ideal for general purpose applications

31.
F-960 Ripen It!
Gas Analyzer
• CO2: 0-100%
• O2: 0-100%
• Ethylene: 0-1000 ppm
• Lower detection limit: 10 ppm
• Ideal for forced ripening applications

32.
Applications –
Continuous Mode
• Live-updating graphs of gas concentrations
• Data saved every one second
Applications:
• For measurements in a changing
environment
• Use for tracking down areas of high gas
accumulation

33.
Applications – Trigger Mode
• Continuous flow-through until stable value is
reached – small sample volumes possible
• One final value is reported and recorded
Applications:
• Inspection tool
• Ideal for gas levels checks of static locations
• Measurements from Modified Atmosphere
Packaged
• Measurements of headspace accumulation in jars

34.
Transflective display for outdoor viewing and
rechargeable/replaceable batteries that last all day long
FIELD READY
Fast and easy measurements, lightweight, portable & durable.
Internal potassium permanganate for scrubbing ethylene in
between measurements
USER FRIENDLY
Download data to your PC via wifi or upload directly from SD
card (data is logged internally)
WiFi CAPABILITIES
Easily track your measurements when out in the field
GPS ENABLED
F-9XX FEATURES
Felix Instruments

35.
F-9XX ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FELIX INSTRUMENTS
Blog post “How to choose the best gas analyzer for you”
F-950 Sensor Calibration Schedule

36.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging
quality assurance and packaging
efficacy
Packaging
Import quality assessment,
packer/distributor quality
assessment, and retail outlet
inspection
Quality Assurance
University and
government/regulatory agencies
Research & Breeding
Quality management in cold storage
and ripening rooms
Post-Harvest
APPLICATIONS
F-9XX

37.
How researchers are utilizing the F-9XX series of gas analyzers to improve produce quality
Viacava et al., 2020
Food Chemistry
Sequential application of postharvest
wounding stress and extrusion as an
innovative tool to increase the concentration
of free and bound phenolics in carrots
Aguilar-Camacho et al., 2019
Ultrasonics Sonochemistry
Combined effect of ultrasound treatment and
exogenous phytohormones on the
accumulation of bioactive compounds in
broccoli florets
Tesfay et al., 2017
Scientia Horticulturae
Carboxyl methylcellulose (CMC) containing
moringa plant extracts as new postharvest
organic edible coating for Avocado (Persea
americana Mill.) fruit
CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH
Felix Instruments

38.
SUMMARY
From 100 ppb to 1000ppm ethylene, our portable gas analyzers
have you covered for any application.
FELIX INSTRUMENTS F-9XX SERIES OF GAS ANALYZERS
Satisfied users means higher quality fruit in the market
SUPPORT & COLLABORATION
Ethylene plays a vital role in the ripening of produce. An
accurate, fast, reliable method of analyzing and monitoring
ethylene levels is essential to maintain produce quality.
IMPORTANCE OF ETHYLENE AND GAS ANALYSIS
Ripening, citrus degreening, storage monitoring, transport,
quality management, and more!
APPLICATIONS & USE CASES

39.
Instantly assess important quality indices including dry matter
and sugar content.
Dry Matter / Brix Measurement
F-751 Kiwi Quality Meter
Hundreds of built-in indices for analytes such as chlorophyll,
anthocyanins, carotenoids, and more!
Reflectance / Absorbance / Transmittance
NEW CI-710 Leaf Spectrometer

40.
Get Connected
Follow us on social media or visit our website to stay updated on
development projects and additions to our product line!
linkedin.com/company/felix-instruments---applied-food-science/
@felixinst
@felixNstruments
http://www.felixinstruments.com
1554 NE 3rd Avenue
sales@felixinstruments.com
+001 360 833 – 8835
Headquarters
1554 NE 3rd Avenue
Camas, WA, USA
98617
CID Bio-Science, Inc.

41.
DO YOU
HAVE
QUESTIONS?
“There is no such thing as a stupid question.”
For sales inquiries, use the link posted in the chat to request a quote
or reach out via email or phone at the e-mail address or phone
number listed below
sales@felixinstruments.com +001 360 833 - 8835
https://tinyurl.com/gasanalysis