Preference of Western Cape Province consumers for the eating quality and appearance of pears

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Our study aimed to determine the preference of Western Cape consumers for theeating quality and appearance of pears. Identifying the main sensory drivers of likingand consumer groupings with similar preferences may allow the pear industry totarget specific markets and increase local consumption, which is stagnating atrelatively low levels.Our first trial included 9 European pear cultivars (Pyrus communis L.) and one Asianpear cultivar (P. pyrifolia (Burm.) Nak.). These were chosen to represent a widerange of characteristics in order to identify the main sensory drivers of liking andpossible consumer groupings. The majority of the 421 consumers, irrespective ofgender, ethnicity and age, preferred pears with a distinct pear flavour, a sweet taste,a fair amount of malic acid, soft, juicy flesh with melt character, and a yellow or palegreen peel colour with a typical pear shape. Astringency, sourness and grittinessnegatively affected consumer preference. None of the pears were mealy andtherefore we could not assess this characteristic. Two consumer clusters with similarpreferences for eating quality and also for appearance were identified. In terms ofeating quality, group 1 (55% of consumers) indicated a liking for a wide range ofcultivars with poorly defined likes and dislikes. Group 2 (45% of consumers), incontrast, had a high liking for the eating quality of a small selection of cultivars whiledisliking the rest. Based on the preferences for appearance, group 1 (61% ofconsumers) again indicated a liking for a wide range of cultivars. Group 2 (39% ofconsumers) scored the most familiar cultivars, viz. Bon Chretien and Packham'sTriumph, very high and the other cultivars much lower than group 1.The objective of our second study was to investigate consumer preference for firm,juicy pears compared to soft pears with a melt character and to identify which of'Forelle', 'Packham's Triumph' and 'Abate Fetel' is best suited to either option. Pearswere harvested within the commercial harvest window (H1) (flesh firmness at 6-6.8kg, 6.4-7kg and 6-6.8kg respectively) and again a month later (H2). H1 and H2pears were ripened at room temperature (20 ºC) for seven or one day, respectively.More consumers (67%) correlated positively with melt character, juiciness, overallpear flavour and sweet taste. These characteristics were the most prominent in H1'Packham's Triumph' pears while H2 fruit were much firmer, but lower in preferred flavour characteristics. There is, however, also a market for crisp and juicy pears as33% of the consumers showed a preference for these characteristics. 'Forelle' and'Abate Fetel' could both be suitable for this market. 'Forelle' was preferred firm,probably because H1 soft pears were more astringent and sour as well as less juicythan H2. There was no difference in preference between H1 and H2 in 'Abate Fetel'.In conclusion, most Western Cape consumers prefer European pears with thecharacteristic soft, melting texture, but a third of consumers seem to like firm, juicypears. Hence, there is opportunity to develop a market for tree-ripe and Asian pears,but marketing will be needed to overcome appearance preferences.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University