Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Eating quality and its retention
Introduction
The market price of fruits depends on their attractiveness and eating quality,
which need to be retained for as long as possible after harvest to facilitate the
matching of supply to demand.
This market price is of predominant importance in apple and pear produc-
tion economics because many of the costs are fixed per kilogram and fruits
of low perceived value do not meet their costs of production. Fruit quality is
therefore a key determinant controlling the cultivars that are grown. Attain-
ment of a specific size and, where appropriate, degree of red colour does not
guarantee that the fruits are ready to eat, either immediately or after a period
of storage. Good appearance after removal from store does not guarantee that
eating quality has been maintained. Eating quality is based on developmental
processes of maturation, ripening and senescence (Watada
et al.
,
).
Maturation is the process leading to physiological or horticultural maturity.
Physiological maturity is the stage of development when the fruit will continue
ontogeny even if detached. Horticultural maturity is when the fruit meets the
criteria laid down by consumers.
Ripening is the sum of the processes from the later stages of growth through
to the early stages of senescence, that result in the attainment of the charac-
teristic eating quality.
Senescence involves those processes following maturity that lead to death.
Fruit sensory quality
The biological basis of fruit sensory quality has been investigated to provide
both understanding and quicker and more reproducible assessment of quality
factors than can be achieved using taste panels. Key measurements are those
of texture, juiciness, sugar and acid content, and aroma.
