Fruits Quality and Sensory Analysis

1. Introduction

With the objective of using sensory analysis tools to dually consider the changes in quality that fruit undergoes (functional, nutritional, and sensory) throughout its growth, processing, and shelf life and consumer acceptance, given consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable and higher-quality food, we edited this Special Issue on “Fruits Quality and Sensory Analysis” (URL: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/horticulturae/special_issues/Fruits_Quality_Sensory_Analysis (accessed on 10 October 2024)). The participating papers studied tomato, apricot, coffee, sweet cherry, pistachio, kiwi, mushroom, pear, and orange, among other things.

2. An Overview of the Published Articles

The correlation between the sensory profile of a food and its phytochemical profile, as well as its influence on consumer preferences, highlights the importance of expanding the research on this topic. An example of this was a study carried out on tomato fruits from three Physalis species (P. ixocarpa, P. angulata, and P. philadelphica) (Contribution 1), in which it was found that certain metabolite expressions are involved in taste variations that directly impact consumer preferences. Hence, preserving biodiversity is important not only in terms of fruit production but also in terms of contributing to meeting consumer demands in terms of fruit’s aroma and flavor (Contribution 1). In line with this, studies have been carried out on genetically improving the metabolic profile and volatile compound contents in plum and apricot hybrids, demonstrating that hybrid seeds inherit the metabolites present in parental seeds, as well as the volatile compound profile from one of the parents (Contribution 2).

On the other hand, in coffee cultivation (the main beverage worldwide after water), a positive correlation was observed between average growing temperature (22–26 °C) and phenol and flavonoid concentrations, as well as key sensory attributes, highlighting the importance of good cultivation practices to optimizing coffee’s functional and organoleptic quality (Contribution 3). Similar results were found for sweet cherries planted in China (Contribution 4) in that the type of soil and fertilization, as well as climatic parameters, had an effect on their functional (β-carotene and flavonoids), nutritional (minerals, TSS, and titratable acidity), and sensory (maturity, size, and edibility rate) quality (Contribution 4). Furthermore, Caranqui-Aldaz et al. (Contribution 5) evaluated the quality of the “mortiño” fruit (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth) grown in the moorland of Chimborazo volcano in Ecuador, revealing that altitude also affects its contents of bioactive compounds (flavonols, hydroxycinnamic acids, and anthocyanins), sugars, organic acids, and minerals.

In evaluating correlations with the expression of certain metabolites in fruits, it was found that in kiwi, the contents of certain minerals and metabolites (fructose, maltose, mannobiose, tagatose, and citrate) are key to its sensory quality and provide a strong flavor, while others (such as serine) have a negative effect (Contribution 6). Furthermore, the relationship between the color of fruit’s skin and its physicochemical and sensory qualities was also evaluated in this Special Issue. Alonso-Salinas et al. evaluated the pigmentation intensity of the blood orange “Sanguinelli”, showing that the more reddish the color of its skin was, the higher its sugar and anthocyanin contents were, which correlated with a greater consumer perception of sweeter fruit, while the other parameters studied did not depend on its external pigmentation (acidity, firmness, size, or juice yield); in this way, they provided a simpler and more intuitive way for the industry to classify fruit batches (Contribution 7).

The use of rootstocks and how they affect the yield, growth, and sensory quality of fruit have been widely established. In this Special Issue, a further step was taken to advance this scientific knowledge in demonstrating that the cultivar–rootstock combination influences the tree vigor, yield, yield efficiency, weight, kernel oil content, and fatty acid profile in pistachios (Contribution 8).

The current trend of increasing fruit conservation through postharvest treatments was also covered by this Special Issue. Alonso-Salinas et al. (Contribution 9) used potassium permanganate filters in devices with ultraviolet radiation and a constant air flow to promote contact between ethylene and oxidizing agents (at 1 and 8 °C), optimizing the maintenance of the physicochemical quality (weight, size, firmness, antioxidant capacity, etc.) of “Ercolini” pears in postharvest conservation and even improving their sensory quality attributes (flavor and odor), associated with green fruit (Contribution 9). This Special Issue also features two bibliographic reviews that provide a comprehensive overview of the strategies for delaying ethylene-mediated ripening in climacteric fruits and their impact on their shelf life, sensory attributes, and volatile compound contents (Contribution 10), as well as the use of new emerging technologies (active packaging, natural antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds, high hydrostatic pressure, UV-C radiation, and ozone) to effectively prolong the quality of fresh fruit (physicochemical, microbiological, nutritional, and sensory) during storage (Contribution 11).

Computer vision has also been used to classify the quality of one of the most popular fungus species, Oudemansiella raphaniepes. Six convolution neural network (CNN) models were used, and based on their detection time and accuracy in classifying images, it was shown that they can be a great tool when it comes to identifying and classifying these fungi, thus clearing the path for the use of this technique with other products to minimize production costs (Contribution 12).

3. Conclusions

In summary, reducing losses in food quality and maintaining health-related compound contents, along with consumer consumption, are indispensable, and research is required to improve how fruit quality and its parameters are affected during cultivation or processing, since in order to obtain high-quality food products, these need to be controlled from the moment it is planted and harvested. Following these developments and global trends towards more nutritious, functional, and sustainable foods, as demonstrated by most of the authors that contributed to this Special Issue, further research into each and every one of the key aspects mentioned is required to help preserve the integrity of bioactive ingredients throughout fruit’s growth, processing, and shelf life, as well as its sensory quality to ensure consumer acceptance of food products.