Cr. Hampson et Ha. Quamme, Use of preference testing to identify tolerance limits for fruit visual attributes in apple breeding, HORTSCIENCE, 35(5), 2000, pp. 921-924
Sensory evaluation methods were used to establish tentative guidelines for
screening apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) breeding selections for four vis
ual attributes. A panel of 42 regional consumers rated sample selections fo
r fruit size on the 7-point "Just Right" (JR) scale, for fruit shape on a 7
-point hedonic (liking) scale, and for the appearance of lenticels and stem
bowl russet (SBR) on a 7-point affective (acceptability) scale. The panel
most preferred a fruit about 7.5 cm in diameter. No evidence was found for
range bias or for differences between yellow and red apples in size prefere
nce. Women and panelists over 55 years of age tended to prefer a slightly s
maller apple. Panelists liked all the most common apple shapes. Lenticels g
enerally became unacceptable when they exceeded 1.0 mm in diameter, but len
ticel density was not related to acceptability. For red or yellow apples, S
BR was acceptable on average, provided its maximum extent did not exceed ab
out 55% of the fruit diameter. The panel's tolerance to SBR resembled that
of a larger regional population, and their fruit size preferences resembled
those reported elsewhere for European consumers. Similar methods could be
used by other breeders to assess the preferences of their target consumer p
opulation.