CONSUMER PREFERENCE FOR APPLE EATING QUALITY AND TASTE IN RELATION TO CANOPY POSITION

The microclimate at different positions in the tree canopy may affect the eating quality, appearance and consumer preference for apple fruit.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal and external quality of inner and outer canopy apples in relation to consumer preference for the eating quality and appearance of these fruit. In the 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons, peel colour, flesh firmness, soluble solids concen¬tration (TSS), titratable acidity (TA) and dry matter concentration (%DMC) were determined for inner and outer canopy ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Starking’ fruit.
Descriptive sensory and consumer preference analyses were performed and related to instrumental quality parameters.
Outer canopy fruit consistently had higher TSS, TSS:TA ratio, %DMC, and were sweeter and more flavoursome than inner canopy fruit.
Consumers generally preferred the eating quality of outer canopy fruit.
The appearance of outer canopy ‘Starking’ was preferred over the inner canopy fruit owing to a more intense red colouration, perhaps signalling higher sweetness to the consumer.
The appearance of blushed outer canopy ‘Golden Delicious’ was not pre¬ferred in the “yellow-green” cultivar, probably due to the unfamiliarity of consumers with such fruit.
However, results suggest that consumers may accept blushed ‘Golden Delicious’ if familiarised with these fruit.

X International Symposium on Integrating Canopy, Rootstock and Environmental Physiology in Orchard Systems

E. Hamadziripi, M. Muller, K.I. Theron, W.J. Steyn

fruit quality, soluble solids, titratable acidity, fruit dry matter

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2014.1058.29