Optimizing sensory quality and consumer acceptance of citrus fruit through horticultural practices

There is a need to better understand consumer preferences and needs for citrus fruit to develop better varieties, improve horticultural and post-harvest practices, and market fruit more effectively. Building on the knowledge we generated in Years 1 and 2 regarding adult and child consumer preferences for the main commercial varieties of Navel oranges and mandarins, as well as their sensory and biochemical (flavor compounds and metabolites) drivers, we plan to replicate our combined approach of consumer sensory tests, descriptive analysis, flavoromics and metablomics to analyze specialty varieties of oranges and mandarins from commercial (trade) and experimental (Lindcove) origins. We also propose to apply this combined approach to the study of consumer preferences and their drivers in Asian markets of interest (Korea, Japan).