摘要 : There is an international standard definition of the term freshness for fruit and vegetables along with several analytical techniques to measure freshness. However, less is known about the way that consumers perceive freshness and... 展开 There is an international standard definition of the term freshness for fruit and vegetables along with several analytical techniques to measure freshness. However, less is known about the way that consumers perceive freshness and its relation to fruit sensory properties. This information could help growers and retailers target appropriate markets for their products. The results of this survey of consumer preferences for apples shows that taste, aroma and freshness are the most important sensory attributes. Based on consumer responses, freshness was described best by taste, crispiness and juiciness, while appearance, storage time and nutritional value were of lesser importance. Consumer age, gender and whether they were apple eaters had an influence of freshness scores. The results illustrate the importance of texture to consumers when they are evaluating the freshness of apples, but that there are also additional effects. 收起