HARVEST POINT AND SENSORY QUALITY OF BRS SOL BAHIA: NEW PINEAPPLE HYBRID RESISTANT TO FUSARIOSIS

Abstract

Knowing the appropriate harvest point is essential for the producer to guarantee the quality of fruits to be offered to consumers. This study aimed at evaluating the influence of the harvest point on the physical-chemical and sensory qualities of fruits of a new pineapple cultivar, BRS Sol Bahia, obtained by the breeding program of Embrapa Cassava & Fruits. This cultivar has been registered at the National Cultivar Registration of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture (RNC-MAPA) and is in the final validation phase for technical recommendation for cultivation. The fruits were harvested at the following maturation stages: “green ripe” (completely green skin), “painted” (up to 25% of yellow-orange skin), “colored” (with up to 50% of completely yellow skin) and “yellow” (more than 50% of yellow skin) and evaluated for mass and dimensions, physical-chemical characteristics, sensory acceptance of color, aroma, flavor, texture/firmness, overall acceptance, intensity of sweetness, acidity and firmness attributes and purchase intention. Fruit mass and soluble solids (SS) contents and the SS/titratable pulp acidity ratio increased with advancing maturation. Most consumers preferred the acidity (53%) and sweetness (63%) of the fruits in the “colored” stage and their texture in the “yellow” stage (75%). The physical-chemical characteristics and the sensory quality of the fruits indicate the “colored” stage as the ideal harvesting point for fruits of this pineapple cultivar. However, this result needs to be confirmed by studies on the resistance to transport and the conservation of the fruits in the post-harvest phase until reaching the consumer's table.