2008 Annual Report
Postharvest
Citrus Research Board
Postharvest Sensory Evaluation
Mary Lu Arpaia
Botany and Plant Sciences, UC/Riverside and
Kearney Ag Center, Parlier
This project was provided as bridge funding for Sue Collin who works with the Project Leader and is responsible
for overseeing our citrus sensory evaluation program. There were several objectives outlined in the proposal.
Progress on each of these objectives is presented below.
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Assist in juice tasting at March 6 CCM Showcase (CRB booth): Interest generated was positive. Many
participants could correctly rank the 3 SSC/TA samples from lowest to highest, so the participants could
distinguish between the ranges of samples.
Help with initial setup of KAC Sensory Evaluation Laboratory: The UC KAC Sensory Evaluation Facility
was completed in mid-April 2008. Furnishings for the building are still needed as well as computer
equipment and pass-through doors for the 6 booths. The building has been used for a few tests so far and is
a wonderful improvement over our previous location.
Train and assist in gas chromatography/olfactometry testing in the laboratory of D. Obenland (USDAARS): Limited progress was made on this objective primarily due to scheduling conflicts.
Visit USDA-ARS laboratory of A. Plotto in Winter Haven, FL: S. Collin visited the laboratory of Anne Plotto,
sensory scientist at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Winter Haven, Florida to observe work in Dr. Plotto’s lab
including participation in Dr. Plotto’s sensory panel projects in May 2008 for 5 days. This visit exposed S.
Collin to additional methodologies to use in our sensory perception work at UC-KAC in the future. Dr.
Plotto’s work is focused on citrus and tomatoes. Sue Collin learned about descriptive panel work, and
participated in panel training. Dr. Plotto was very helpful in sharing information and resources as well as
encouraging future communications.
Develop consultation agreement with M. O’Mahony and R. Ishii at UC Davis, Dept. of Food Science and
Technology and begin consultation on a quarterly basis: We have continued to interact with Drs.
O’Mahony and Ishii on issues related to sensory panels and methodologies. They prefer a less formal
arrangement but have continued to be easily accessible.
Oversee citrus sensory perception work at UC KAC: Dur- ing the 2007-2008 season, several sensory
projects were conducted at UCKAC including examining the impact of fruit maturity, storage temperature
and storage duration on the flavor of Owari and W. Murcott. We also conducted work examining heattreated oranges and the impact of those treatments on eating quality as well as a preliminary study trying
to identify fruit components which may contribute to a decline in eating quality associated with late season
navel orange.
Participate in installation and training on Compusense Software: We changed our plans following S.
Collin’s visit to Dr. Plotto’s lab and decided to pursue usage of 2 statistical packages, SENPAQ and
ExcelStat. Both M. L. Arpaia and S. Collin attended a 3-day training meeting on these programs in New
York in October 2008. This grant covered the registration and travel expenses for S. Collin only.
NOTICE: The research results included in this publication are summary reports for the benefit of the Citrus Research
Board and the growers it serves. They are not to be taken as recommendations from either the individual reporting
or the agency doing the research. Some of the materials and methods mentioned are neither cleared nor
registered for commercial use. The summaries were written by the project leaders identified. Both technical
names and registered trademarks of materials are used at the discretion of the authors and do not constitute any
endorsement or approval of the materials discussed. Questions on possible applications should be directed to the
local University of California Extension Specialist, a licensed PCA, or the appropriate regulatory agency.