Apple quality: development of descriptive quality profile for objective sensory evaluation.

An objective procedure for a descriptive quality profile for the evaluation
of sensory qualities of apples is described. Sensorily identifiable
attributes of texture, juiciness, aroma and taste and descriptive words
for identifiable stages for each cttribute are chosen through panel participation.
This gave adequate training to the panel for uniform understanding
of the quality stages and the descriptors. A scale which emphasizes
the optimum stage of quality is proposed in the place of usual unipolar
scale. The profile procedure has been used to evaluate quality of
cold stored apples in a study of the effect of maturity and transport.
Instrumental measurements of texture, juice-volume by a modification
of the texture profile method, brix and acidity have also been determined.
The sensory and instrumental data have been found to show
good agreement.