An overview of sensory quality of apple fruit

Sensory analysis performed by trained assessors or consumers is the only direct approach to measure perceptible properties of food products and to interpret consumer’s responses. Over the last 30 years different sensory techniques, alone or in combination with instrumental characterization of related physical and chemical parameters, have been proposed to study the eating quality of apple fruit (Malus × domestica Borkh.) as affected by breeding activities, crop management and post-harvest practices. Cultivar has been defined as the most important source of variability. The study of post-harvest apple sensory quality demonstrated that different sensory patterns were developed by different cultivars during storage. Breeding programs, in general, adopt sensory evaluation as a fundamental tool to study the acceptability of new apple cultivars and their performance in real market conditions, even if not always by application of rigorous sensory science criteria. Texture and taste properties were found to be the most important characteristics driving consumer preferences, even if they appeared to be strongly influenced by external factors. In this review particular attention is also given to correlation studies between sensory properties and instrumental parameters, since sensory analysis requirements, in terms of facilities, commitment by panelists and time, have made the relationships between sensory and instrumental data of considerable interest to researchers wishing to find more convenient ways to describing the sensory profiles of apples.