Sensory Lexicon of Pomelo Fruit over Various Cultivars and Fresh‐Cut Storage

AbstractA lexicon consisting of 30 sensory attributes was developed by a highly trained descriptive panel to describe aroma, flavor and texture characteristics of pomelo cultivars popularly cultivated and consumed in Thailand. Pomelo samples were precut, placed on styrofoam trays, overwrapped with polyethylene film and stored at 5C and 85% relative humidity for up to 7 days. Results showed that the attributes were able to describe great variation in aroma, flavor and texture characteristics among pomelo samples. Principal component analysis grouped the attributes into five key dimensions that explained 77.5% of total variability. Attributes such as citrus identity, pomelo identity, viney, floral, overall sweet, overall sour, hardness, firmness, moisture release, chewiness and fibrous explained differences among cultivars as well as changes occurring during fresh‐cut storage of some cultivars. While attributes such as orange peel, bitter, astringent and particles differentiated cultivars among each other.Practical ApplicationsConsumption market for fresh‐cut pomelo is steadily expanding, especially in European countries. There are a number of pomelo cultivars and those cultivars vary greatly in aroma, flavor and texture. This research provided information on how sensory characteristics differed among pomelo cultivars and how those characteristics changed during fresh‐cut storage. This information could be useful for pomelo exporters in selecting cultivars that will be successful in their target markets. It is also useful for retailers in knowing the approximate storage duration of the precut pomelo fruits without detrimental quality changes. These results are the first to define sensory characteristics of pomelos and the lexicon could be used for future research on pomelo.