PURPOSE: To discriminate the freshness, ripeness, and internal quality of vegetables and fruits easily, securely, speedily, and automatically by applying electric fields of two kinds of frequencies between a couple of electrodes and measuring parallel equivalent resistance and parallel equivalent capacity at each frequency.

CONSTITUTION: A vegetable or fruit is set between the couple of electrodes 1 and 2 and the electric fields of two kinds of frequencies are applied between the electrodes 1 and 2 by a CR meter 6 to measure parallel equivalent resistance and parallel equivalent capacity at each frequency. Those measured values are sent to a microcomputer 7 to calculate the parallel equivalent resistance ratio and parallel equivalent capacity ratio of the two kinds of frequencies. Then, the calculated values are compared with preset criteria to discriminate the freshness, ripeness, and internal quality of the vegetable or fruit, thereby sending a command signal to a display 8 and/or actuator 9 for selection.