Modelling and Classification of Apple Textural Attributes Using Sensory, Instrumental and Compositional Analyses.

Textural characteristics of fruit are important for their quality, storability, and consumer acceptance. While texture can be evaluated instrumentally or sensorially, instrumental measurements are preferred if they can be reliably related to human perception. The objectives of this research were to validate instrumental measurements with sensory determinations, develop a classification scheme to group apples by their textural characteristics, and create models to predict sensory attributes from instrumental and compositional analyses.

Multiple Correspondence and Hierarchical Cluster Analyses for the Profiling of Fresh Apple Customers Using Data from Two Marketplaces.

Purchase behavior and preferences for consumers of fresh apples were investigated using a consumer survey conducted at a special-event apple market. Survey respondents were asked to list apple cultivars they had purchased at the retail market and the special-event market. The special-event market offered many uncommon cultivars packed in clear plastic bags with a fixed weight and price.

Effect of sulfite addition and pied de cuve inoculation on the microbial communities and sensory profiles of Chardonnay wines: dominance of indigenous Saccharomyces uvarum at a commercial winery.

The microbial consortium of wine fermentations is highly dependent upon winemaking decisions made at crush, including the decision to inoculate and the decision to add sulfur dioxide (SO2) to the must. To investigate this, Chardonnay grape juice was subjected to two inoculation treatments (uninoculated and pied de cuve inoculation) as well as two SO2 addition concentrations (0 and 40 mg/L). The bacterial communities, fungal communities and Saccharomyces populations were monitored throughout fermentation using culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques.

The effect of sulfur dioxide addition at crush on the fungal and bacterial communities and the sensory attributes of Pinot gris wines.

Modern day winemaking often involves the addition of sulfur dioxide (SO) at crush to act as both an antioxidant and an antimicrobial agent. While the effects of SO on microbial communities and particularly on spoilage microorganisms has been well-studied, the advent of culture-independent molecular technologies, such as Illumina sequencing, allows the subject to be re-visited in a new context. High-throughput amplicon sequencing allows for a more thorough evaluation of microbial communities, as thousands of microbial sequences per sample can be identified and even rare microorganisms can be studied.

Inter-correlation of apple firmness determinations and development of cross-validated regression models for prediction of sensory attributes from instrumental and compositional analyses.

The texture of apples is paramount for determining fruit quality. This research explored the correlations among firmness determinations from the Sinclair iQ™ Firmness Tester (SiQ™), the Aweta Acoustic Firmness Sensor (AFS), and eight measurements from the Mohr Digi-Test-2 (MDT) instrument. Assessments were conducted on a collection of nine apple cultivars (Ambrosia, Aurora Golden Gala™, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Imperial Gala, McIntosh, Pink Lady™, Silken, Salish™), with a broad range of firmness values, in each of two years.

Use of descriptive analysis and preference mapping for early-stage assessment of new and established apples.

Background: This research compared four new apple selections with 16 established apples using descriptive analysis (DA), instrumental analyses and preference mapping, in order to identify suitable selections for commercialization and further research.

Results: DA revealed that the new apple selections (PARC1, PARC2, PARC3, PARC4) were very similar in texture/mouthfeel (T) but differed in their flavor (F) and appearance (A) characteristics. Preference mapping revealed that consumers' T preferences were driven primarily by crispness, juiciness and lack of skin toughness, while F preferences were driven by sweetness, lack of tartness and presence of fruity flavor.

Functional characterization of individual- and mixed-Burgundian Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates for fermentation of Pinot noir.

Pinot noir has traditionally been fermented by native flora of multiple yeasts producing a complex combination of aromas and flavors. With the use of industrial dry yeasts, winemakers gained enological reliability and consistency in their wines, but lost diversity and complexity. This research evaluated the use of co-culturing yeasts to fulfill this dual role.

Descriptive and hedonic analyses of low-Phe food formulations containing corn (Zea mays) seedling roots: toward development of a dietary supplement for individuals with phenylketonuria.

Background: Seedling roots of anthocyanin-rich corn (Zea mays) cultivars contain high levels of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity. The development of a natural dietary supplement containing corn roots could provide the means to improve the restrictive diet of phenylketonuria (PKU) patients by increasing their tolerance to dietary phenylalanine (Phe). Therefore this research was undertaken to explore the sensory characteristics of roots of four corn cultivars as well as to develop and evaluate food products (cereal bar, beverage, jam-like spread) to which roots had been added.

Systematic comparison of hedonic ranking and rating methods demonstrates few practical differences.

Hedonic ranking is one of the commonly used methods to evaluate consumer preferences. Some authors suggest that it is the best methodology for discriminating among products, while others recommend hedonic rating. These mixed findings suggest the statistical outcome(s) are dependent on the experimental conditions or a user's expectation of "what is" and "what is not" desirable for evaluating consumer preferences.