Articles
CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR ‘ELSTAR’ APPLES AT DIFFERENT RIPENESS STAGES TREATED WITH 1-MCP
Article number
858_11
Pages
99 – 103
Language
English
Abstract
1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is a potentially valuable tool to improve the postharvest quality of apples during commercialisation.
The sensory (organoleptic) quality of 1-MCP treated apples is strongly influenced by the at-treatment ripeness stage, storage conditions, and storage duration.
This investigation evaluates the consumer preferences for riper and less-ripe 1-MCP treated ‘Elstar’ apples after two storage periods.
The apples were commercially stored for 4 months in CA plus
8 d shelf life at 20°C (January 2007 consumer test) and 8 months CA plus 8 d shelf life (May 2007 consumer test). In January, shoppers preferred the less-ripe untreated and ripe 1-MCP treated ‘Elstar’ apples while less ripe 1-MCP treated and ripe untreated fruit were clearly non-preferred.
But in May after 4 further storage months, the consumer preference pattern had changed and less ripe 1-MCP treated fruit were now clearly preferred while ripe untreated fruit showed very low preference scores.
These consumer preference test results show that 1-MCP treated Elstar can under some circumstances (e.g., short term CA storage with less ripe fruit) be non-preferred.
Optimal post-harvest management after the introduction of 1-MCP now requires producers and postharvest operators to be even more diligent to match fruit ripening with storage conditions and consumer marketing windows.
The sensory (organoleptic) quality of 1-MCP treated apples is strongly influenced by the at-treatment ripeness stage, storage conditions, and storage duration.
This investigation evaluates the consumer preferences for riper and less-ripe 1-MCP treated ‘Elstar’ apples after two storage periods.
The apples were commercially stored for 4 months in CA plus
8 d shelf life at 20°C (January 2007 consumer test) and 8 months CA plus 8 d shelf life (May 2007 consumer test). In January, shoppers preferred the less-ripe untreated and ripe 1-MCP treated ‘Elstar’ apples while less ripe 1-MCP treated and ripe untreated fruit were clearly non-preferred.
But in May after 4 further storage months, the consumer preference pattern had changed and less ripe 1-MCP treated fruit were now clearly preferred while ripe untreated fruit showed very low preference scores.
These consumer preference test results show that 1-MCP treated Elstar can under some circumstances (e.g., short term CA storage with less ripe fruit) be non-preferred.
Optimal post-harvest management after the introduction of 1-MCP now requires producers and postharvest operators to be even more diligent to match fruit ripening with storage conditions and consumer marketing windows.
Authors
R. McCormick, D. Kittemann, J. Streif
Keywords
consumer, expectation maturity
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