Sensory profile of eight tomato cultivars (Lycopersicon esculentum) and its relationship to consumer preference

A sensory profile was created for 8 fresh tomato cultivars (Cherry-Pachino, Lobato, Rita, Furora, Bravo, ES200, Cherry-Licatese, and Sardegna) and their relationship to consumer preference was evaluated. A panel of 11 trained judges was used to evaluate the sensory profile. Results were processed by Analysis of Variance. Mean scores of sensory attributes (red, green, colour uniformity, fruity aroma, acid, salty, sweet, astringent, fruity flavour, crispy, firm, thick-skinned, juicy and mealy) were then subjected to Principal Component Analysis. In order to identify the relationship between the sensory profile and consumer preference, a preference test was conducted and results were processed by Internal Preference Mapping. This procedure showed that there were two distinct consumer groups having preference for different tomato cultivars. The first group preferred the Cherry-Pachino cultivar far its redness and sweetness and the second group preferred the Sardegna cultivar for its acidity and texture characteristics.