Forgot your password?
Document Actions
Work Package 1.1
Detailed information about work package 1.1
Work Package 1.1 - Characterization of consumer expectations with respect to tomato diversity at the European level
|
Work package leader: Mathilde Causse |
|||
Objectives and main resultsThe consumer expectations are different from one country to the other, but also depend on people characteristics (age, origin). A better knowledge of tomato consumer preferences, at the European level, will provide the bases for a suitable improvement of the fruit quality and for the diversification of this product. It will also allow improving the communication towards the consumers for each tomato segment. Consumers of three countries (the Netherlands, France and Italy) were presented with a set of varieties representing the diversity of tomato segments in order to evaluate their preferences. The consumer preferences were compared to the available tools to measure fruit quality (sensory analyses by trained panels, fruit composition, and instrumental measurements). A "preference map" was then constructed revealing the structure of consumer preferences and allowing identifying the major traits to improve in order to satisfy the diversity of consumer tastes. This experiment has allowed us to characterize the preferences of European consumers facing the diversity of tomato varieties and identify the most relevant quality traits for breeding tomato. In the last part of Eusol WP11 partners will focus on specific segments and on assessing the influence of growth conditions on these traits for the varieties which will be grown in two or three countries. The new segments like “ancient types” have been first a “season” offer, that part of the consumers appreciates very much; now there is an offer nearly all year long with product coming from South Europe (Sicilia, South Spain) or from winter cultivation under glass houses. We would like to know how consumers appreciate this offer at two different periods. |
Sensory analysis of tomato taste by a trained panelist |
||
| Highlights | Partner | ||
SOL 2012, 9th Solanaceae Conference, August 26-30, 2012