The economic cost of mechanical damage to apples in Belgium
has also been estimated. The percentage of degraded apples
identified during sorting, in which bruised apples were a major
part, was 15 and 8% in 2000 and 2001, respectively. On the
Belgian market the auction price for degraded apples (industrial
apples, apples not suitable for fresh market) is 1/3 of the normal
price.