76C-8 |
Consumer acceptance of Georgia cantaloupes grown by various irrigation and cooling methods |
A. M. JOHNSON and A. V. A. Resurreccion. Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 30223-1797 Sweetness is a key factor in predicting quality and determining cantaloupe overall acceptability. Consumers' complaints of inconsistent produce quality could reduce consumer satisfaction and profitability to growers. The study was conducted to: (1) determine consumer acceptance for varieties of Georgia cantaloupes grown by various irrigation and cooling methods and (2) determine relationships between consumer acceptance, sweetness intensity using a trained panel and soluble solids (°Brix) of cantaloupes. Retail samples of Western and Florida cantaloupes and three Georgia cantaloupes grown by various irrigation and cooling methods were evaluated using sensory and instrumental methods. The consumer panel (n=56) evaluated overall acceptability and acceptance of six sensory attributes: color, aroma, flavor, sweetness, juiciness and mouthfeel/texture using a 9-point hedonic scale. The descriptive panel (n=9) evaluated sweetness intensity using a 150-mm unstructured line scale. A digital refractometer was used to evaluate the soluble solids concentration. The results indicated that Georgia cantaloupes grown by a combination of pivot overhead irrigation and narrow plastic mulch and cooled after harvest produced the highest consumer acceptance ratings (x³6.0) except for juiciness, the highest sweetness intensity (x=96.12) and Brix value (x=12.66). The remaining two Georgia cantaloupes produced low sweetness intensities and soluble solids concentrations; the Florida and Western cantaloupes rated lower on every attribute, except for aroma (x=6.14) and color (x=7.14) of the Western and Florida, respectively. Sweetness intensity was an indicator of overall acceptance, but the Brix readings were not a consistent indicator of sweetness intensity and overall acceptance of the cantaloupes. No correlation (r£0.64) between the consumer acceptance of sweetness, intensity perception of sweetness and soluble solids concentration was found. Consumer sensory evaluations helped to predict overall acceptance and sweetness, whereas soluble solids concentration could not. Sensory evaluation of sweetness by a trained panel is a reliable indicator of overall acceptance of cantaloupes by consumers.
Session 76C, Fruit & Vegetable Product: Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
|