Determination of quality in stored pear fruits by chemical analysis and sensorial judgement

Pear (Pyrus communis L.) belongs to the family Rosaceae and subfamily Pomoideae. It is one of the most important tree fruit of the world. Out of the several species the pear is most widely grown. The pear is considered by many to be among the most delicious of all species. It contains a better juicy texture with a delicate fl avour and aroma (Iftikhar et al., 2009). The common Hungarian varieties of pear are Bosc kobak, Conference, Packham’s Triumph and Williams pear. Except the William pear the other pears are winter varieties and can be stored for longer period. Eating quality is diffi cult to measure objectively. Analytical measurements of soluble solids (% SS), titratable acidity (TA) and fi rmness have shown poor correlation with sensory perceptions of sweetness, sourness and texture (Bourne, 1979, Watada et al., 1981). Fruit quality includes many properties such as sensory attributes (appearance, texture and fl avour), nutritional value, chemical constituents, mechanical properties, functional properties and defects (Abbott, 1999). The quality attributes can be described by colour, texture fl avour, and taste (sweet, sour, salt and bitter sensations) in addition to physical attributes such as size and shape. All these attributes can be evaluated by using trained sensory panel, but more rapid and objective characterisation is achieved by instrumental measurements. Texture and fl avour appear to be the most important attributes for the consumer (Stow, 1995) Appearance of fruit in the marketplace is a critical importance to consumer, often setting up expectation of what the product will taste like (Deliza & MacFie, 1996; Jaeger & MacFie, 2011). External factors of the appearance of fruit, such as shape and colour, can have a large infl uence on the consumer’s fi rst impression and opinion of what the fruit may taste like (Jaeger & MacFie, 2001). Colour is probably the most important appearance characteristic of foods, especially if some other aspect of quality is related to the colour. It seems likely that recognition of cultivar as well as Determination of quality in stored pear fruits by chemical analysis and sensorial judgement