Apple breeders around the world are
trying to please the consumer with the
perfect apple. The success of varieties
in the demanding market environment
mostly depends on the consumer’s
taste. To investigate these preferences,
the acceptance of 11 varieties was tested
with 550 Swiss consumers within
the European project ISAFRUIT, in
Framework «6». New varieties have
shown significantly higher acceptance
ratings than traditional Golden Delicious
and Jonagold. Mean ratings of
Swiss consumers liking are quite similar
to the results obtained with European
consumers. Another focus was
the identification of preferences based
on certain sensory apple characteristics
and which consumer clusters
could be made on these preferences.
Evaluation of the data shows 3 clusters
of about the same size. Consumers
differ in their variety preferences: one
cluster prefers sweet to rather acidic,
aromatic and crisp apples with a firm
fruit flesh, tolerating a slightly lower
fineness of the fruit flesh. A second
group of consumers prefers sweeter,
fruity and aromatic apples, partially
with a floral aroma and a higher
fineness of the texture, whereas they
are less demanding on firmness. The
preferences of the third group are
intermediate. All consumers share the
rejection of soft and mealy apples
with low aroma intensity and a tendency
to a grassy aroma.