Peter Balk

Peter Balk is a Research Officer at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in postharvest fruit quality and storage technologies. His work focuses on controlled atmosphere storage, shelf life extension, and non-destructive quality assessment for pome fruits like apples and pears.

• Current Role: Research Officer, OT Team Fruit-Bomen
• Institution: Wageningen University & Research

Research Interests: Balk’s research addresses critical challenges in fruit preservation, including:

• Internal disorder detection using X-ray CT
• Optimizing storage conditions to minimize postharvest losses
• Psychological aspects of fruit quality perception
• Bitter taste mitigation in pome fruits
• Data-driven monitoring systems (Cooldata)
• Instrument validation for quality assessment

Recent Publication Trends: His 2024–2025 work emphasizes non-destructive testing, controlled atmosphere storage, and shelf life optimization for pome fruits. Collaborative projects focus on integrating X-ray CT and sensory analysis to enhance postharvest quality evaluation.