Sensory traits and consumer’s perceived quality of traditional and modern fresh market tomato varieties: A study in three European countries

Consumer dissatisfaction with the flavor quality of many modern fresh market tomato varieties has fostered breeders’ interest in sensory quality improvement, and the demand for traditional varieties, which are generally associated with better flavor. To achieve further knowledge on the factors influencing the sensory quality and consumers’ preferences and perception, European traditional and modern fresh market tomato varieties were grown and evaluated in France, Italy, and Spain. Different growing conditions were tested in France (soilless vs. soil) and in Spain (open field vs. greenhouse), while in Italy fruits were evaluated at two ripening stages. Fruit quality was assessed by integrating physicochemical analyses, sensory profiles, and consumer tests. In all three countries, overall modern varieties were perceived as having more intense “tomato flavor” and “overall flavor” than traditional ones. In France and Spain, consumers’ preferences were more oriented towards modern varieties than traditional ones. Significant growing condition effects were found on sensory and physicochemical traits, while the effect on consumers’ overall liking was not significant, largely depending on the genotype. A fair agreement between product configurations from descriptive analysis by trained assessors and Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) questions by consumers was observed. Penalty-lift analysis based on CATA allowed identifying positive and negative drivers of liking.Postprint (published version

Sensory Traits and Consumer’s Perceived Quality of Traditional and Modern Fresh Market Tomato Varieties: A Study in Three European Countries

Consumer dissatisfaction with the flavor quality of many modern fresh market tomato varieties has fostered breeders’ interest in sensory quality improvement, and the demand for traditional varieties, which are generally associated with better flavor. To achieve further knowledge on the factors influencing the sensory quality and consumers’ preferences and perception, European traditional and modern fresh market tomato varieties were grown and evaluated in France, Italy, and Spain. Different growing conditions were tested in France (soilless vs. soil) and in Spain (open field vs. greenhouse), while in Italy fruits were evaluated at two ripening stages. Fruit quality was assessed by integrating physicochemical analyses, sensory profiles, and consumer tests. In all three countries, overall modern varieties were perceived as having more intense “tomato flavor” and “overall flavor” than traditional ones. In France and Spain, consumers’ preferences were more oriented towards modern varieties than traditional ones. Significant growing condition effects were found on sensory and physicochemical traits, while the effect on consumers’ overall liking was not significant, largely depending on the genotype. A fair agreement between product configurations from descriptive analysis by trained assessors and Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) questions by consumers was observed. Penalty-lift analysis based on CATA allowed identifying positive and negative drivers of liking

Mechanical breakdown and cell wall structure of mealy tomato pericarp tissue

International audienc

French consumer preferences reveal a potential for segmentation in carrots

Carrot is one of the major vegetables, and is a basic product highly valued by regular buyers. In spite of the natural resources of the species, diversity for consumers is poor. The aim of this work was to identify consumer preferences based on appreciation of batches representative of the carrot sensory space. Ten batches were described by a trained panel using a list of 10 attributes. The same products were given to a panel of 299 consumers from 3 French cities (Avignon, Angers, and Paris). They gave a score of general appreciation and answered a questionnaire about usage and attitude. The results show that carrots are mainly characterized by the perception of bitterness, pungency and chemical flavor in opposition to the perception of sweetness. Some batches had a higher level for global aroma. Other batches were characterized by juiciness as opposed to a high level of firmness and retention in the mouth. The highest levels of consumer satisfaction were achieved with flavored, juicy and sweet carrots. Main rejected characteristics were too much bitterness and too intense chemical flavor. The segmentation study identified three groups of consumers, differing mainly by their attitude towards the product. A group representing 20% of the panel was characterized by very marked preferences for sweet and flavored products and also for interest in a high quality product

Integrative approach of tomato fruit texture using multiblock analysis

Tomato fruit texture is one of the most critical quality traits for both the consumer and the production chain. Texture is a complex trait for which several QTL and genes were found. However, interactions between the molecular, histological, physical and biochemical components of fruit texture have been rarely investigated. In this work an integrative approach based on multiple co-inertia analysis (MCOA) was applied to point out links among the different levels: from protein to fruit, then to identify main physiological mechanisms involved in fruit texture. Three contrasted parental lines (‘Cervil’, ‘Levovil’, ‘VilB’) and three derived QTL-NILs harbouring texture QTL on chromosome 4 and 9 were analyzed. Measurements were performed at cell expansion stage, at red ripe stage and after 7-days postharvest storage at 20°C. To increase texture variability, water deficit was induced by decreasing water supply by 40% from flowering of the third truss. Three blocks of data (texture, physico-chemical traits and proteome datasets) were analysed. Results showed a common multi-scale structure obtained from the three datasets with a main contribution of texture and biochemical blocks. At all levels, MCOA outlined strong genotype discrimination, indicating that the genetic factor was the main factor of variability, in contrast with water deficit. The first common component separated the genetic background and correlated with firmness and sugar traits. The second component represented QTL effect. The percentage of the variance of the protein block taken into account to build the common structure was low. Proteins which mainly contributed to the common components at the three developmental stages were implicated in carbohydrate metabolism. Multiple co-inertia analysis provides an interesting tool to characterize complex trait such as fleshy fruit texture by integrating several levels of studies

Integrative approach of tomato fruit texture using multi-block analysis

Integrative approach of tomato fruit texture using multi-block analysis. 2. Symposium on Horticulture in Europ

Traumatic biliary neuroma after orthotopic liver transplantation: a possible cause of “unexplained” anastomotic biliary stricture

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Les stratégies de contrôle de la qualité dans les Organisations de Producteurs de tomates

Our paper deals with free-riding issues in product safety control at the collective marketing level. It focuses on the empirical findings of the exhaustive face to face survey that has been conducted in 2007 by the authors with the quality managers of the tomato growers'unions of France. Our survey was supported by the National Tomato Charter, a regrouping of most of the French tomato growers'unions. Its aim was to identify the differences in monitoring and enforcement practices at the collective marketing level and to search for any group size effect on such practices. A main finding of our paper is that, beyond public regulation and collective rules imposed by the National Tomato Charter, POs implement voluntary control rules for a better control of free riding behavior within the group. Such additional rules differ both in monitoring intensity (measured by the number of pesticide residue analysis performed voluntarily by the group) and in sanction level (applied in case of deviation to the collective rule). Differences in safety control are not only triggered by customers specific requirements but also by group size (measured by the number of growers within the group). Eventually, our paper draws some perspectives for a more in-depth analysis of free riding issues. First, it calls for paying more attention to factors such as intra-group heterogeneity and differences in customers requirements. Second, it underlines the need for a more extensive analysis which includes safety control practices at the production level and wonders whether such practices are a complement or a substitute of control practices at the marketing level.Ce texte aborde les problèmes d'action collective dans le contrôle de la qualité sanitaire des produits avant leur mise en marché par les Organisations de Producteurs. Il est une synthèse des résultats de l'enquête menée auprès des responsables qualité de l'ensemble des OP adhérant à la Charte Nationale Tomate sur leurs pratiques de contrôle de la qualité sanitaire des tomates. L'enquête a eu le soutien des responsables de la Charte Nationale Tomate, qui regroupe la quasi-totalité de la production organisée en France. Elle avait pour objectif d'identifier la diversité des pratiques de contrôle au sein des OP et de mesurer l'effet de la "taille de l'OP" sur les modalités de contrôle mises en place. L'enquête montre qu’au-delà des règles communes imposées par la réglementation et la Charte Nationale Tomate, les OP mettent en place des démarches de contrôle diversifiées qui se différencient à la fois par l'importance de la surveillance (mesurée en nombre d'analyses de résidus de pesticides) et par le niveau des sanctions appliquées en cas de dérogation à la règle adoptée. Elle explique enfin la diversité de ces démarches, non seulement par les exigences de la clientèle mais aussi par la taille du groupe (mesurée par le nombre de producteurs). Notre rapport se termine par une discussion sur les améliorations à apporter à ce premier travail. Des précisions sont à apporter tout d'abord sur l'hétérogénéité intra et inter groupes et sur les niveaux d'exigences de la clientèle. Un complément d'analyse est ensuite nécessaire pour mieux caractériser l'effort de contrôle en amont du produit, au niveau de la production et pour étudier la complémentarité ou la substituabilité des deux types de contrôle : contrôle sur les pratiques en production, contrôle sur le produit

Perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy: retrospective analysis of bacteriological profile and susceptibility

Background: Pancreatic tumours are frequently associated with obstructive jaundice requiring preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) before pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), exposing patients to infectious complications. This study aims to compare postoperative complications after PD with or without PBD and to analyse bile bacteriology and antibiotic susceptibility. Methods: All patients undergoing PD between 2014 and 2019 were retrospectively evaluated, and postoperative outcomes were compared according to PBD use. Prophylactic narrow-spectrum antibiotic therapy was given for 24 h, then adapted according to bacteriologic profile. Intraoperative bile cultures and antibiograms were collected. Results: Among 164 patients with intraoperative bile culture during PD (75 PBD+, 89 PBD–), an infected bile was observed in 95% and 70% of PBD + and PBD– groups, respectively (p < 0.001). Postoperative mortality and severe morbidity including infectious complications were similar between groups (5% and 15%). The median duration of antibiotherapy was longer in PBD + compared to PBD– groups (9 vs. 2 days, p = 0.009). Malignant indication and PBD were associated with bile contamination using univariate analysis, and PBD was significantly relevant at multivariate analysis. Most common pathogens identified in bile cultures were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. Overall antibiotic susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics was decreased, including those used in our local guidelines. Conclusions: PBD exposes nearly 100% of patients undergoing PD to bile infection and an increased duration of postoperative antimicrobial therapy, without increasing infectious complications in this study. Adaptation of antimicrobial prophylaxis should be further evaluated according to performance of PBD and local epidemiology, in order to avoid overuse of antibiotics.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe