Authenticity tests of organic products (Golden Delicious and Elstar) applying sensory analysis

Summary

In the governmental funded project BÖL-02OE170/F, apple samples from different farming systems (organic and conventional) were differentiated and classified by sensory evaluation. Samples from farm pairs derived from geographical neighbouring locations. Each farm pair consisted of one farm producing apples according to organic land use system and one producing conventionally. Factors of influence as growing conditions, climate, soil and harvest time were comparable within each pair.
For sensory evaluation, a descriptive analysis panel was trained according ISO-standards of descriptive analysis. The quantitative descriptive analysis method (QDA) enables to show a complete product profile with all sensory characteristics of a product as well as their intensity.
Over 2 crop periods (2004/2005), 18 apple samples (9 pairs) were evaluated by QDA method; 5 samples pairs of the variety “Golden Delicious” and 4 sample pairs of the variety “Elstar”, each with 3 replicates and 6 apples per replicate. In the first crop year, descriptive analysis was done to develop product profiles of all samples. Based on these data, a classification model was developed to classify sensory characteristics of organic vs. conventional apple cultivation. According to this model, from 9 defined trial sample pairs, 8 sample pairs could be classified according to the farming system in the second year.