ARS | Publication request: TASTE PANELS EVALUATE QUALITY OF FIVE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STRAWBERRY SELECTIONS

Submitted to: Proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 6, 2006
Publication Date: April 11, 2007
Citation: Plotto, A., Chander, C. 2006. Taste panels evaluate quality of five University of Florida strawberry selections. Proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society. 119:308-311.

Interpretive Summary: In a breeding program, new selections are evaluated for horticultural parameters, and in a final stage, it is best to perform taste panels. Consumer panels are easily performed in a laboratory setting, and can give good indication whether the new selections have a potential for acceptance, before a large market study is performed prior to release a new variety. In this study, five promising selections from the University of Florida’s strawberry breeding program were compared with the industry standard ‘Festival’ in consumer panels in a laboratory set up. Several of the selections were rated equal to, but not higher than ‘Festival’ for appearance and/or flavor on the first panel (February). However, on the second panel (March), FL 00-51 exceeded ‘Festival’ for appearance and flavor; FL 01-116 exceeded ‘Festival’ for appearance and was not significantly different than ‘Festival’ for flavor; and FL 99-164 equaled ‘Festival’ for both appearance and flavor.

Technical Abstract: Five promising selections from the University of Florida’s strawberry breeding program were compared with the industry standard ‘Festival’ in consumer panels on February 2nd and March 9th, 2006. Several of the selections were rated equal to, but not higher than, ‘Festival’ for appearance and/or flavor on the February date. However, on the March date, FL 00-51 exceeded ‘Festival’ for appearance and flavor; FL 01-116 exceeded ‘Festival’ for appearance and was not significantly different than ‘Festival’ for flavor; and FL 99-164 equaled ‘Festival’ for both appearance and flavor.