Vertical farming and the need for texture analysis

With global populations rising and available farmland shrinking, indoor vertical farming is emerging as a key solution for future food production. Vertical farming uses stacked layers and controlled-environment agriculture to efficiently grow fruits and vegetables year-round, often right in urban centres. This high-tech approach – driven by advanced hydroponic systems, data analytics, and innovations like LED light “recipes” tailored for each crop – provides optimal and sustainable growing conditions.

Vertical farms need far less land and use up to 70% less water than traditional farming. They deliver fresher produce with dramatically fewer food miles, reduce fuel consumption, and minimise spoilage. Such systems are pesticide- and herbicide-free, yield more harvests per year, and provide consistent, traceable, and locally-grown produce – often without soil, meaning less risk of foodborne illness.

Major players like AeroFarms are demonstrating how vertical farming can maximise yields, flavour, and nutrition while supporting urban food resilience. As consumer demand grows for local, organic, and sustainable foods, investment and innovation in vertical farming continue to accelerate – making it a promising path for feeding cities sustainably and efficiently.

Texture is a key driver of purchase decisions for fruits and vegetables. Consumers associate crispness, firmness, and juiciness with freshness and quality. As vertical farming evolves, meeting or exceeding these textural expectations is crucial for consumer acceptance – and for differentiating your products.

• Consumers use texture as a freshness cue.
• Mouthfeel influences first impressions and repeat purchases.
• Hydroponics, LEDs, or unique genetics can subtly change bite, snap, or juiciness.

Beyond taste and appearance, one of the major factors in consumer acceptability is the texture and mouthfeel of the food. While taste and appearance are the factors that attract more attention during food production and consumer purchase, texture is crucial in food preferences and can make a difference at the time of purchase.

Stable Micro Systems manufactures instruments that measure the tensile and compressional properties of raw ingredients, individual materials and finished products. It is important to measure the textural properties of food to ensure they match the expectations of a consumer. As with any manufacturing innovation, a large amount of research takes place during development, but the end-product must also go through a quality control process to assess its mechanical (and sensorial) properties. A Texture Analyser is a crucial part of this procedure, giving a reliable way to test products by applying a choice of compression, tension, extrusion, adhesion, bending or cutting tests to measure their physical or textural properties e.g. firmness, flexibility, crispiness and toughness, to name but a few.

A Texture Analyser helps you reliably measure and optimise:

• Firmness and ripeness (e.g., tomato, avocado, apple)
• Crunch and snap (e.g., lettuce, carrots, microgreens)
• Skin rupture force (e.g., grapes, cherry tomatoes)
• Flexibility and chewiness (e.g., leafy greens)

By comparing these properties with traditional or competitor products, you can refine your processes and ensure high, consistent quality with every harvest.

Typical texture analysis tests

A wide range of probes and attachments can be tailored for:

• Fruit flesh firmness (penetration probes)
• Carrot stick rigidity (Three Point Bend Rig)
• Berry ripeness (Ottawa Cell)
• Leaf snap and crunch (Compression Platens)
• Skin toughness (puncture and peel tests)

Explore testing methods used across the fruit and vegetable industry.

A large amount of research in this area of product development occurs in an academic context and often Texture Analysers are used for patent applications. Many industry leaders and researchers already use Texture Analysers to ensure their vertically farmed produce meets and exceeds consumer expectations:

• How light impacts the physical and nutritional quality of lettuce – University of Murcia study
• See how industry frontrunners use texture analysis to gain a competitive edge

Traditional farming remains essential to global food security, and its role will not diminish in the foreseeable future. However, with a rapidly growing population and increasing focus on environmental sustainability, vertical farming offers a valuable complement to conventional practices. The outlook for vertical farming is promising, with the sector poised for significant development in the coming years.

To ensure consumer trust and market adoption, robust quality control standards will be critical. We provide the tools and expertise you need to meet these challenges and succeed in this evolving market.