Project Overview
This three-year project aims to improve the eating quality of Australian cherries by developing and supporting the adoption of an industry-agreed minimum maturity standard. By better understanding how cherries perform across the supply chain and how this aligns with consumer taste preferences, the project will help ensure cherries supplied to consumers are consistently enjoyable to eat, supporting repeat purchase and increased demand.
The project focuses on monitoring cherry quality at key points in the supply chain and combining this data with consumer sensory testing to provide robust, evidence-based insights for industry.
Project Details
The project is monitoring cherry quality across retail, wholesale and export supply chains, alongside consumer sensory testing conducted by CSIRO Sensory and Consumer Science. Quality measurements are collected from commercial fruit samples and analysed by project leaders Delytics to understand how maturity, handling and supply chain factors influence the eating experience.
Insights generated through this work will inform the development of minimum maturity standards and practical guidance to support improved cherry quality outcomes across the industry.
Project Progress and Updates
January 2026
The project is now well underway, with monitoring at retail, wholesale and export sites commencing in December. A consumer taste panel with CSIRO Sensory and Consumer Science is currently being completed and will conclude by the end of January.
For each maturity monitoring sample, ten cherries are assessed for size, colour, firmness, sweetness (brix) and acidity. To support this work, project partner Rudge Produce Systems has developed a custom measurement rig that enables fast and accurate assessment of size and colour within commercial supply chains.
All data collected is provided to project leaders Delytics for analysis. In the next stage of the project, growers will be able to access anonymous, near real-time summaries showing how cherries are performing across the industry. Later in the project, growers will also have the option to receive confidential reports on the performance of their own fruit.
What Growers Can Expect
As the project progresses, growers can expect:
Improved understanding of how cherry maturity and quality attributes influence consumer eating experience
Anonymous, industry-wide benchmarking data to support decision-making
Optional confidential reports on individual fruit performance
Evidence-based minimum maturity standards informed by consumer preferences
Practical insights to support quality improvement across harvest, packing and supply chains
Grower Information – view the project overview document HERE.
Project Partners and Funding
This project is led by Delytics Ltd in partnership with Cherry Growers Australia and Rudge Produce Systems, with consumer sensory testing delivered by CSIRO Sensory and Consumer Science.
The project is funded by Hort Innovation using the cherry research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government.
