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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING TRANSACTIONS
VOL. 58, 2017
A publication of
The Italian Association
of Chemical Engineering
Online at www.aidic.it/cet
Guest Editors: Remigio Berruto, Pietro Catania, Mariangela Vallone
Copyright © 2017, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.
ISBN 978-88-95608-52-5; ISSN 2283-9216
Consumer Assessment on Sensory Attributes of Fresh Table
Grapes Cv 'Italia' and 'Red Globe' after Long Cold Storage
Treatment
Stefania Chironi, Giuseppe Sortino*, Alessio Allegra, Filippo Saletta, Valeria
Caviglia, Marzia Ingrassia
Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
giuseppe.sortino@unipa.it
The impact of research that is being carried out into the relationship between food and consumers is
progressively reinforced by continuous findings in literature confirming that consumers choose foods basing
on their functional cognition and sensory perception, especially when buying fruit and vegetables. Therefore, it
is important for table grape producers to be aware of consumers' concerns and preferences both, during the
purchasing stage and after, during consumption at home, when experiential attributes have more importance.
In both cases, sensory attributes play an important role in determining consumers’ purchase behavior of table
grape. Table grapes cv ‘Italia’ and ‘Red Globe’ are produced in South Italy (Sicily and Apulia) and appreciated
by consumers for their superior taste and other intrinsic qualities, both in Italy and in other European countries.
Nevertheless, harvested grapes of these cultivars deteriorate rapidly without post-harvest appropriate
treatments, especially in terms of fungal rot, rachis browning, berry drop, softening, moisture loss and off-
flavor, and this fast deterioration is the main limitation to market acceptance. The objective of this study is to
assess consumers preferences in regards to 22 sensory attributes of fresh table grapes cv ‘Italia’ and ‘Red
Globe’, after a cold storage treatment of 90 days at 1±1 °C and 90±2% RH, combined with low SO2
concentration. Therefore, ‘In-store’ consumer acceptance tests were performed, on 1000 consumers, in nine
cities nearby the main Sicilian areas of table grape production. Consumers were asked to score table grape
sensory attributes, using a 9-pt scale, after long storage of 30, 60 and 90d. For this study, the table grapes
were harvested from two locations, Canicattì and Naro during the last week of September and treated with
SO2 fumigation, with SSC >14%, for prolonging shelf life. Analysis of scores revealed that consumers
preferred cv ‘Italia’ for its uniform color and no shades of berries and for a balanced tasting sugar/acidity ratio.
The cv ‘Red Globe’ performed good results for crunchy berries and intense berry aroma, detachment of
berries and skin tannicity. No difference was observed between the two cultivars for odor descriptors.
1. Introduction
Several studies have been carried out, so far, on table grapes; particularly, recent researches have focused
on new methods for extending storage shelf life of cultivars bred in the major producing countries. For this
study we observed consumers' preferences in regards to Vitis vinifera L. cvs. ‘Italia’ (white berries) and ‘Red
Globe’ (red berries), that are the most important cultivars in the Italian market, in order to understand if they
are still valued by consumers, or if a varietal renewal may be need. Grape growers have a fundamental dual
role in the sustainability of the globalized table grape production chain, as primary consumers of cultivars and
other agricultural materials (i.e. fertilizers, pesticides and farm machinery), and as suppliers of a grape
commodity. This role is unique, because it differs from that of the final consumers who purchase agricultural
products by mainly evaluating consumption attributes (Roberts-Nkrumah et al., 2005); contrarily, grape
growers consider production attributes as key factors in their cultivar-adoption decision-making. Grape
growers may have markedly different cultivar-selection criteria than fruit-selection criteria of consumers.
Previous researches have demonstrated that farmers modify their cultivation choices, cultivars and production
DOI: 10.3303/CET1758071
Please cite this article as: Chironi S., Sortino G., Allegra A., Saletta F., Caviglia V., Ingrassia M., 2017, Consumer assessment on sensory
attributes of fresh table grapes cv 'italia' and 'red globe' after long cold storage treatment, Chemical Engineering Transactions, 58, 421-426
DOI: 10.3303/CET1758071
421
methods basing on consumers' preferences, more particularly, their choices are strongly influenced by other
external factors (i.e. market preferences) in the agricultural supply chain, such as agrichemical and extension
services (Haugerud and Collinson, 1990; Macholdt et al., 2016, Liguori et al. 2015b). Technological
developments have made international transactions easier, increasing the profitability for shippers exporting
table grapes and making produce available to consumers globally, at affordable prices (Lichter et al., 2008).
Technology has advantaged the seasonal differences expanding exports. Communication and information
technology, such as electronic technologies, have enabled shippers to track their cargos around the world to
monitor quality, reduce risks of liability claims and cut delivery time. Among the major exporters of table grape,
Italy is the main European producer and exporter and ranks third in world’s export share (12% in 2009-2011)
following Chile and the US (Seccia et al., 2015). Under this scenario it may be very crucial to extend shelf life
of Italian table grape, stored after harvest, in order to prolong its marketing outside Italy, and be more
competitive in the EU and world markets. Therefore, consumer preferences and liking towards table grapes
cvs. 'Italia' and 'Red Globe', which are the major production in Southern Italy, and the most appreciated by
consumers, should be assessed for understanding the effectiveness of cold storage techniques. Despite it has
been widely demonstrated that the identity factors play an important role in food preferences (Allegra et al.,
2015; Piazzolla et al., 2016; Chironi et al., 2015), in this study we wanted to observe the preferences of Italian
consumers for these two cultivars, which have seeds, unlike the grapes marketed in most countries of the
world. More particularly, we want to know if, in those areas in which these two grape varieties are produced,
the consumer has kept the old preferences or evolved, by changing their preferences from grapes with seeds,
to grapes seedless. That it is important for producers in order to know if a varietal change may be necessary
or if these grapes are still appreciated by the consumer, at least in the territory of origin and production.
Generally, techniques and methods for prolonging shelf life of fruit after harvest are considered expensive by
producers (Cantín et al., 2012). In this study it was experimented a low cost cold-storage technology that may
be easily used by grape growers, and consumers' preferences on major quality descriptors were assessed
after the cold treatment in order to know the effectiveness of the treatment according consumers (Liguori et al
2015a). A good consumer acceptance may allow table grape to be marketed for a longer period, and thou
producers’ income could increase of about 30-40%. The objective of this study is to assess consumers
preferences in regards to 22 sensory attributes of fresh table grapes cv ‘Italia’ and ‘Red Globe’, after a cold
storage treatment of 90 days at 1±1 °C and 90±2% RH, combined with low SO2 concentration.
2. Materials and Methods
This study was conducted on 10-year-old table grapes plants, Vitis vinifera L. cvs. ‘Italia’ (white berries) and
‘Red Globe’ (red berries), grown in a commercial vineyard located in the Central Sicily (Southern of Italy) near
Agrigento (Naro : 37°18'25.0"N 13°52'11.0"E) in the District named "Uva da tavola di Canicattì PGI" (Reg. CE
2325.1997). Table grapes plants were supported on an overhead arbor 2 m high "Tendone" system, covered
with netting and plastic film (LDPE, thickness 170 μm), spaced at 2.5m×2.5m (1600 plant ha−1). The table
grapes used for this study were harvested during the last week of September. Grapes collected were clean,
visually free of disease or other damages. Uniformity of grape sampling was taken into account. 300 boxes
were prepared, by placing about 10kg of table grape in each box made of cardboard internally and plastic
externally (Carton Pack, Italy). For this study, sampled grape was treated with SO2 fumigation and SSC >14%,
according to other studies carried out on methods to extend storage life of table grapes (Sortino et al., 2017).
Fresh weight was measured at commercial ripe with an electronic balance (EU-C 2002 RS. Gibertini Milano.
Italy); fruit firmness was measured as penetration force required to depress 5 mm into the fruit using a 2 mm-
cylinder probe, the results were expressed in Newtons (N). Soluble solids concentration (SCC) was measured
with a digital refractometer (Palette PR-32, Atago Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan) expressed as % sucrose
equivalents. The pH of the juice was registered, and then titratable acidity (TA) was determined in triplicate,
from the above juice, by potentiometric titration, with 0.1 N NaOH up to pH 8.1, using 1 mL of diluted juice in
25 mL of distilled H2O, and results were the mean (SE expressed as g of tartaric acid equivalent per 100 g
-1
fresh weight (n=25) (Table 1). Due to the fact that sensory attributes play an important role in determining
consumers’ purchase behavior, for this study it was used a cluster of 22 sensory descriptors (1Cluster -
General appearance1=badly shaped; 9=well shaped; 2Cluster - Detachment of berries1=low resistance;
9=high resistance; 3Cluster - Uniformity of color1= ≥ to 30% defects; 9=all colored; 4Stalk - Color1=brown;
9=bright green; 5Stalk – Turgidity 1=shriveled; 9=turgid; 6Rachis - Presence of rot and/or lesions1=all rotten;
9=all healthy; 7Stalk -Browning of the peduncle 1=all brown; 9=all green; 8Berry - Uniformity of color 1= < to
30% colored; 9=all colored; 9Berry - Presence of shriveling1=all shriveled; 9=all healthy; 10Berry - Ease of
detachment from the pedicel1=low resistance; 9=very resistant; 11Skin - Browning of the skin1=clearly visible;
9=not visible; 12Pulp - Browning of the flesh1=clearly visible; 9=not visible; 13Berry - Crispness 1=low;
9=very crisp 14Pulp – Consistency 1=deliquescent; 9=very firm; 15Berry - Intensity of aromatic sensation1=not
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very intense; 9=very intense; 16Pulp - Taste balance (sweet/acid) 1=not balanced; 9=very well balanced;
17Skin - Thickness1=thick; 9=thin; 18Skin - Astringency1=astringent; 9=not tannic; 19Skin - Persistence of skin
in mouth1=very persistent; 9= little persistent; 20Seeds - Perception (sensation of dimensions) 1=unpleasant;
9=not perceptible; 21Seeds - Hardness (resistance to crushing) 1=very hard; 9=little resistance; 22Berry Off-
flavor intensity 1=not very intense; 9=very intense) related to visual, taste, olfactory indicators (Liguori et al.,
2014; 2015b; Crisosto et al., 2002). An In-store consumer acceptance test (Crisosto et al., 2010) was
conducted on the four times of storage, i.e. at 0 day (after harvest) and after 30 days, 60 days and 90 days, at
1+1°C (Sortino et al., 2017). One thousand (n=1,000) regular or, at least, occasional consumers were
surveyed at the major supermarkets of the nine selected cities nearby the main Sicilian areas of table grape
production (i.e. Palermo, Catania, Trapani, Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Enna, Ragusa, Siracusa and Messina).
According to previous studies (Ingrassia et al., 2017; Sortino et al., 2017) the supermarkets were selected
basing on the following variables: 1. Store size (i.e. very large); 2. Social status of users (i.e. all classes); 3.
Fruit types (i.e. large variety of fresh fruit). The consumers' sensory test was made during the peak hours
before the exit of the supermarket. Target population was selected according to socio-demographic and
psychographic marketing variables for consumer stratification. The Systematic sampling method was applied
for the selection of consumers, as for ‘dynamic population’ (Rolfe et al., 2006; Sortino et al., 2015, 2016)
including a diverse combination of ages and genders and respondents' age equally distributed inside the
range. Berries for the tasting were taken from the central part of the cluster. Samples were presented in a
white plastic plate and tasted at least 1 h after they were taken out of the cold room (Liguori et al., 2015b).
Consumers were asked to score table grape sensory attributes, using a 9-pt hedonic scale (1 = dislike
extremely to 9 = like extremely), after long storage i.e. 30, 60 and 90 days (Ma et al., 2016; Liguori et al,
2014). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test was performed to investigate significant differences between scores
(control and SO2 treatment) for each time of storage. The method used to discriminate among the means was
the Fisher's test at 95% confidence level and p-values lower than 0.05 (p<0.05) were considered significant.
Coefficient of variation (CV% = σ/mean*100) was calculated to analyze homogeneity of scores in terms of
'dispersion'. The data were processed using the software SPSS v.21.
3. Results and Discussion
During the entire storage period (90d), the ‘Red Globe’ grape stored with SO2 obtained the lowest weight loss
(%), that was 2.86%, contrarily the ‘Red Globe’ stored as CTRL had the highest weight loss, which was 3.97%
(Table 1). The mean of total soluble solid content (Table 1) of ‘Italia’ CTRL grape at 90 days of storage was
16.30% and 14.25% for ‘Red Globe’ (CTRL). In the experiment the highest soluble solids were obtained for
the grapes stored in SO2 at 90 day (16.50% for cv ‘Italia’ and 14.61% for cv ‘Red Globe’), and the lowest
soluble solids were obtained for CTRL grapes. Values of titratable acidity of grapes tested show for cv ‘Italia’
at harvest a value of 0.319 which decreased to 0.28% at the end of the storage period. During the entire
storage, the highest titratable acidity value was obtained for the Red Globe grapes stored at SO2 (0.35%).
Flesh firmness of grapes at harvest was 28.7 N and it decreased to 20.00 kg/cm2 for cv ‘Italia’ as CTRL and to
21.6 kg/cm2 for ‘Red Globe’ CTRL at the end of storage (Table 1). The effects of both storage periods on flesh
firmness were found statistically significant (p<0.05). During the cold storage, the highest flesh firmness was
obtained for the ‘Red Globe’ grapes stored with SO2 and the lowest value was obtained for the fruit stored as
CTRL (20.00 N). At the end of the 90-day of storage, the berries treated with SO2 were more firm and
marketable. Consumer assessment on the table grape cultivars tested was not significantly different between
demographic subgroups in our sample (data not shown). The degree of liking of the two cultivars evaluated in
the In-store test was affected by cultivar and time of storage, however, it is interesting to highlight that there
was a significant effect of the SO2 treatment in both cultivars tested. Mean values of scores given by
consumers to cultivar 'Italia' at different times of storage are presented in Table 2 (data are means).
Respondents assessing grapes cv 'Italia' at T2 and T3 preferred the attributes 'General appearance', Uniformity
of color' and 'Taste balance (sweet/acid)'. More particularly, data shown in Table 4 highlight a good effect of
the SO2 treatment for 'General appearance', demonstrated by a reduction of appreciation 0.8 from T2 to T3, a
reduction of 'Taste balance' of 1.2 and a reduction of 0.7 for 'Cluster Uniformity of color'. Furthermore, if we
observe all the other attributes in the group of visual indicators, it is possible to discover other positive effects
of the SO2 treatment for 'Stalk Turgidity' (-0.4 from T2 to T3), 'Browning of the peduncle' (CTR values at T2 is
6.7 and at T3 is 7.4, values at T2 is 5.4 and at T3 is 5.0), 'Uniformity of color of berries' (+0.2 from T2 to T3) and
'Browning of the skin' (+0.8). However, with respect to taste and olfactory indicators, it is possible to observe
modest reductions of 'Crispness' (-0.5 from T2 to T3) and 'Intensity of aromatic sensation' (-0.6). Generally, for
all the other descriptors, it is possible to observe a slower decay (since results show a good consumer liking)
of treated fruit from T1 to T3 comparing to control, according to consumers' assessments.
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Table 1 - Weight, soluble solid concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), and firmness (N), of fruit of table
grape cv 'Italia' and 'Red Globe' after 30, 60 and 90 days after harvest, at 1±1 °C and 90±2% RH .
Means value followed by same letter are not significantly different at P <0.05 (Data are means ± SE; n = 25).
Table 2: Sensory analysis of cv Italia table grape by stage (T0=0, T1=30, T2=60, T3=90 days) and treatment
Data concerning consumers' evaluations with regards to table grape 'Red Globe' at different times of cold
storage are presented in Table 3. For this cultivar, from T2 to T3, after the SO2 treatment, the best results
were noticed, generally, for taste descriptors. Nevertheless, a good acceptance was observed also for
'General appearance' (-0.6 from T2 to T3). More particularly, 'Crispness' acceptance decreased of 0.5 from T2
to T3 and consistency decrease was -1. Also results for olfactory descriptors showed a good behavior, from T2
to T3 since the descriptor 'Intensity of aromatic sensation' decreased, practically, unnoticeably (-0.1), and
'Taste balance (sweet/acid) decreased of 0.8, demonstrating a satisfactory effect of the SO2 treatment also for
this cultivar. However, for the descriptor ‘Taste balance (sweet/acid)’ results showed that the treatment was
more effective for cv ‘Red Globe’ (7.1) than for ‘Italia’ (6.6). For both cultivars, consumers perceived a low
odor of sulfur at all times of storage for treated grapes. The off-flavor intensity is usually caused by the SO2
treatment, however, only at T3 the off-flavor intensity increased of 1.6 points for cv 'Italia' (2.8 at T3) and 1.1 for
cv 'Red Globe' (2.6 at T3). Coefficient of variation indicates modest differences (CV%<10) among respondents
with different age for all descriptors, for the two cultivars, therefore it was observed a unitary behavior in
respect to each category of descriptors. Additionally, in previous works, seeds had always a significant
negative impact on consumer acceptance of fruit (ElBehi et al., 2015; Chironi et al., 2015), nevertheless, in
Weight losses (%) SSC (%) Titratable acidity % Firmness (N)
Days Italia Red Italia Red Italia Red Italia Red
0
SO2 0.0±0.0
d 0.0±0.0d 14.90±0.11b 15.30±0.21a 0.39±0.09ns 0.46±0.05ns 28.7±0.15a30.7±0.16a
CTRL 0.0±0.0
d 0.0±0.0d 14.90± 0.21b 15.30±0.21a 0.39±0.09 0.46±0.05 28.7±0.15
a 30.7±0.16a
3
0
SO2 2.47±0.11
c 2.65±0.14c 16.20±0.5ab 15.51±0.14a 0.36±0.05 0.44±0.05 27.6±0.24
a 30.2±0.20a
CTRL 3.26±0.15
a 3.09±0.08a 15.30±0.33b 15.38±0.18a 0.34±0.04 0.43±0.02 24.2±0.39
b 26.5±0.57b
6
0
SO2 2.88±0.10
b 2.79±0.10b 16.60±0.18a 15.00±0.12a 0.33±0.07 0.42±0.09 27.2±0.25
a 29.0±0.25a
CTRL 3.54±0.14
a 3.54±0.14a 15.90±0.11b 14.70±0.14b 0.31±0.06 0.40±0.06 22.8±0.21
c 25.5±0.21c
9
0
SO2 2.99±0.13
b 2.86±0.13b 16.50±0.22a 14.61±0.17b 0.30±0.04 0.37±0.04 23.5±0.24
c 23.5±0.24c
CTRL 3.77±0.22
a 3.97±0.19b 16.30±0.19ab 14.25±0.11b 0.28±0.09 0.35±0.07 20.0±0.16
d 21.6±0.12d
Descriptors T0 T1 T2 T3
CTR SO2 CTR SO2 CTR SO2 CTR SO2
1Cluster -General appearance 8.8±1.8 8.7±1.8 8.5±0.9 8.2±0.6 6.1±1.1 7.9±0.8 5.5±0.5 7.1±0.7
2Cluster - Detachment of berries 7.5±1.0 7.5±1.5 7.4±0.7 7.7±0.7 6.5±1.0 6.9±1.5 6.6±0.8 6.4±0.3
3Cluster - Uniformity of color 7.1±1.0 7.1±1.0 6.9±0.6 6.1±0.6 6.5±1.1 6.9±1.0 5.7±0.7 6.2±0.5
4Stalk - Color 8.0±0.5 7.8±0.9 7.1±1.2 7.0±1.1 6.8±0.8 7.0±0.5 3.5±0.8 3.5±0.4
5Stalk - Turgidity 8.0±0.7 8.0±0.8 6.8±0.6 6.9±0.6 5.5±0.7 6.7±0.4 4.5 ±0.7 6.3±0.2
6Rachis - Presence of rot lesions 1.0±.0.01.0±.0.2 4.7±0.8 4.1±0.8 5.9±0.6 4.2±0.4 7.4±0.8 4.9±0.5
7Stalk - Browning of the peduncle 1.3±0.0 1.3±0.4 5.4±0.7 4.1±0.7 6.7±1.3 5.4 ±1.5 7.4±0.4 5.0±0.9
8Berry - Uniformity of color 7.8±0.5 7.9±0.7 6.0±1.1 6.9±0.5 6.1±0.7 6.5±0.6 5.0±0.2 6.3±0.4
9Berry - Presence of shriveling 2.0±0.0 2.0±0.0 2.9±0.3 2.5±0.3 3.2±0.2 2.6±0.2 3.8±0.5 3.1±0.4
10Berry - Ease of detachment pedicel 7.2±0.3 7.0±0.5 7.3±0.2 7.0±0.7 7.8±0.3 7.1±0.4 7.5±0.6 7.3±0.7
11Skin - Browning of the skin 1.9±0.5 1.9±0.6 3.4±1.1 2.5±1.6 3.9±0.7 2.9±0.7 5.3±0.6 3.7±0.9
12Pulp - Browning of the flesh
13Berry - Crispness
1.0±1.3
8.0±0.8
1.0±1.3
8.0±0.8
2.6±0.6
7.0±0.4
2.3±0.6
7.5±1.0
2.5±0.9
6.7±0.8
2.7±0.7
7.4±0.9
3.1±0.5
5.2±1.1
2.7±0.5
6.9±0.9
14Pulp - Consistency 8.0±0.7 7.9±1.1 6.9±0.5 7.8±0.8 6.2±0.5 7.5±0.3 5.7±0.4 6.0±0.6
15Berry - Intensity of aromatic 7.1±0.6 7.1±0.7 7.5±0.4 7.4±0.3 6.5±0.7 6.0±0.9 5.1±0.4 5.4±0.3
15Pulp - Taste balance (sweet/acid) 8.0±1.3 8.0±1.5 7.6±1.1 7.6±1.1 8.0±0.7 8.0±0.7 6.6±0.4 6.8±0.5
17Skin - Thickness 7.3±1.4 7.3±1.4 7.1±0.7 7.0±0.7 7.0±0.5 7.0±0.5 7.1±0.8 7.2±0.5
18Skin - Astringency 3.5±1.5 3.3±1.5 3.5±1.2 3.7±1.5 3.0±0.7 3.0±0.5 2.6±0.4 2.5±0.6
19Skin - Persistence of skin in mouth 2.0±0.5 2.0±0.5 5.4±0.8 3.3±0.8 5.2±0.9 3.5±0.9 6.6±0.8 4.8±0.6
20Seeds - Perception (dimensions) 5.2±0.3 5.2±0.3 5.5±0.5 5.3±0.5 5.1±0.7 5.0±0.4 5.3±0.5 5.1±0.2
21Seeds - Hardness (crushing) 6.0±0.6 6.0±0.4 5.9±0.4 5.9±0.4 6.1±0.7 6.2±0.3 6.3±0.5 6.3±0.4
22Berry – Off flavor intensity 1.0±0.0 1.0±0.0 1.0±0.0 1.1±0.1 1.5±0.3 1.2±0.2 1.4±0.4 2.8±0.5
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this study it was possible to advance an in-depth knowledge of Italian consumers’ preferences for table grape
cv 'Italia' and 'Red Globe' which highlighted different conclusions. In fact, considering that the world industry of
table grape produce grapes with seedless berries, our results show that consumers' evaluations of attributes
concerning seeds were equal to sufficient or higher. This in line with previous literature, demonstrating that
preferences for food attributes are strongly influenced by identity factors (ElBehi et al., 2015; Ma et al.,2016;).
Table 3: Sensory analysis of cv Red Globe table grape by stage (T0=0, T1=30, T2=60, T3=90 days) and
treatment
4. Conclusions
Consumers preferences in regards to the 22 sensory attributes of fresh table grape selected for this study
revealed a good acceptance for the two cultivars (cv ‘Italia’ and cv ‘Red Globe’), treated with low SO2 during a
cold storage of 90 days at 1±1 °C and 90±2% RH. More particularly, consumers preferred cv ‘Italia’ for its
visual appearance and taste, and cv ‘Red Globe’ for its crunchiness and intense berry aroma. Good results
with no differences between the two cultivars were observed for odor descriptors. Therefore, producers may
use this technique of storage to extend shelf life of grape up to three months after harvest and maintain very
good sensory attributes to prolong its commercialization. Moreover, these results are very interesting in order
to improve the efficiency of Italian production of table grape and of its storage, because SO2 treatment has a
lower environmental impact than SO2 generating pads (one and double release SO2 pads) that are special
waste, negative for the environment and expensive to dispose. In view of the excellent results of the cold
storage both for control and for the treatment with SO2, and considering that consumers liked both cultivars
each for its specific sensory characteristics, it would be desirable if table grape growers could use new
cultivars with the same sensory characteristics of grape cv 'Italia' and 'Red Globe', but seedless, in order to
satisfy the large consumer preference in Europe and worldwide. Future studies should be carried out with the
aim to investigate new and better treatments for cold storage of grape.
Reference
Allegra A., Barone E., Inglese P., Todaro A., Sortino G., 2015, Variability of sensory profile and quality
characteristics for ‘Pesca di Bivona’ and ‘Pesca di Leonforte’peach (Prunus persica Batsch) fresh-cut
slices during storage, Postharvest Biology and Technology, 110, 61-69,
DOI:10.1016/j.postharvbio.2015.07.020.
Descriptors* T0 T1 T2 T3
CTR SO2 CTR SO2 CTR SO2 CTR SO2
1Cluster -General appearance 8.4±1.1 8.5±1.2 7.9±0.3 7.2±0.6 6.8±1.1 7.5±1.1 5.2±0.9 6.9±0.7
2Cluster - Detachment of berries 7.0±0.7 7.0±0.7 7.4±0.7 7.7±0.7 7.2±1.0 7.5±1.5 7.1±0.9 7.0±0.3
3Cluster - Uniformity of color 7.0±1.0 7.0±1.0 6.5±0.4 6.3±0.7 6.0±0.3 6.5±0.6 5.3±0.4 5.5±0.3
4Stalk - Color 8.2±0.3 8.0±0.5 7.5±1.2 7.8±1.0 6.0±1.3 7.7±0.9 4.7±0.3 5.5±0.2
5Stalk -Turgidity 7.4±0.5 7.4±0.5 6.7±0.5 6.9±0.4 6.0±0.3 6.2±0.5 5.5±0.3 6.8±0.2
6Rachis-Presence of rot and/or lesions 1.0±.0.5 1.0±.0.2 3.7±0.6 2.5±0.6 4.7±0.6 4.2±0.4 6.3±0.4 4.7±0.6
7Stalk - Browning of the peduncle 1.5±0.2 1.6±0.4 3.1±0.3 2.4±0.5 3.7±1.1 2.9 ±0.8 6.2±0.9 4.0±0.5
8Berry - Uniformity of color 8.3±0.5 8.2±0.5 6.3±1.7 6.7±0.9 5.3±0.6 6.0±0.8 4.4±0.6 6.0±0.6
9Berry - Presence of shriveling 1.0±0.0 1.0±0.0 1.5±0.5 1.5±0.5 2.2±0.4 1.5±0.2 2.5±0.5 2.0±0.5
10Berry - Ease of detachment pedicel 7.0±0.3 7.0±0.5 7.5±0.5 7.1±0.7 7.5±0.6 7.4±0.5 7.7±0.4 7.3±0.2
11Skin - Browning of the skin 1.0±0.5 1.0±0.6 2.2±0.4 1.5±0.4 3.0±0.5 2.5±0.5 3.5±0.5 3.0±0.3
12Pulp - Browning of the flesh
13Berry - Crispness
1.0±0.0
8.6±0.5
1.0±0.0
8.5±0.4
2.0±0.5
7.5±0.7
2.0±0.2
7.9±0.9
2.9±0.4
7.1±0.6
2.3±0.7
8.0±1.2
2.6±0.6
6.2±0.7
2.2±0.5
7.5±0.6
14Pulp - Consistency 8.5±0.6 8.2±0.5 7.1±0.6 7.9±1.1 6.2±0.5 7.5±0.8 5.5±0.8 6.5±0.8
15Berry-Intensity of aromatic sensation 7.4±1.5 7.4±1.5 7.6±1.0 7.4±0.7 6.7±0.4 6.6±0.9 5.6±0.6 6.5±0.4
16Pulp - Taste balance (sweet/acid) 7.0±0.7 6.8±0.5 7.9±0.3 7.1±0.7 7.5±0.4 7.9±0.2 7.7±0.6 7.1±0.9
17Skin - Thickness 6.5±1.1 6.3±1.5 6.1±0.9 6.0±0.8 6.2±0.6 6.5±0.3 5.7±0.4 6.0±0.7
18Skin - Astringency 4.6±0.6 4.9±0.4 3.8±0.4 3.3±1.0 3.3±0.9 3.6±0.4 2.9±0.3 3.1±0.5
19Skin - Persistence of skin in mouth 2.0±0.5 2.0±0.5 5.1±0.7 3.6±0.4 5.9±0.9 4.3±0.6 7.0±0.5 4.5±0.7
20Seeds - Perception (dimensions) 5.7±0.5 5.7±0.5 5.9±0.3 5.7±0.6 5.4±0.5 5.2±0.7 5.5±0.3 5.6±0.2
21Seeds - Hardness (crushing) 4.3±0.7 4.4±0.5 4.9±0.6 4.5±0.4 5.4±0.7 5.2±0.6 5.3±0.8 5.3±0.4
22Berry – Off flavor intensity 1.0±0.0 1.0±0.0 1.0±0.0 1.3±0.3 1.2±0.2 1.5.0±0.4 1.1±0.1 2.6±0.3
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