There are over 7,500 apple varieties grown worldwide, each with its own set of organoleptic characteristics such as flavor, texture, and appearance. However, no more than 150 varieties have been introduced broadly in the global market. Consumer preference for apples is influenced by a complex interplay of factors beyond taste. The sheer variety of apples available in the market creates a valuable opportunity for a digital app that can help consumers navigate and select the best options based on their quality trait preferences. This project, in cooperation with U.S. Apple Association, aims to ultimately develop a digital app that will recommend apple varieties based on consumer’s preferences regarding sweetness, sourness, juiciness, crispiness, flavor, color, texture, and nutrition content. Thus, we examined the relationship between various sensory and physico-chemical data to understand their significance in apple selection. Five cultivars of apples grown organically (‘Ambrosia’, ‘Cosmic Crisp’, ‘Gala’, “Sugar Bee®’, and ‘Sweet Tango’) were purchased from a retail store in Mid Atlantic area during the winter season. Thirty apples of each cultivar (n=30) were measured for volume, weight, height, width, specific density, surface area, circumference, fizziness and for skin color (L*, a*, b*, hue angle, chroma). Firmness parameters and acoustic texture parameters were also measured. Additionally, total juice content, soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acidity and pH were assessed. Consumer panels (n=45: female=22, male=23) were conducted to evaluate traits including sweetness, sourness, flavor, texture/mouth feel, and overall eating quality (OEQ) using a five-point scale. Consumers displayed a stronger preference for ‘Cosmic Crisp’ and ‘Sugar Bee®’ varieties compared to ‘Gala’ and ‘Ambrosia’. This preference is driven by significantly higher consumer ratings for firmness, sweetness, and sourness of ‘Cosmic Crisp’ and ‘Sugar Bee®’. As highlighted in previous studies, correlations between consumer-rated sensory scores and their corresponding instrumental measurements were low. Furthermore, OEQ showed a stronger correlation with sensory ratings (r=0.54-0.84 ) than instrumental measurements (r=0.02 to 0.49). This suggests that consumer evaluation is critical, and may be a more reliable indicator, for the development of a digital app, compared to instrumental measurements. An accompanying consumer survey (n=30) indicated that crispness is a key factor considered by consumers when choosing apples. This project provided valuable insights and potential issues when developing a user-friendly app for consumers. It identified the dominant factors influencing apple selection and showed methods to cross-validate sensory ratings with corresponding instrumental measurements.
