Cherry and Fresh Market Tomatoes: Differences in Chemical, Morphological, and Sensory Traits and Their Implications for Consumer Acceptance

Summary

The tomato commercial groups cherry and fresh market, mainly classified by fruit size, have clearly segregated markets. We aimed to estimate the variation within and between these groups and to analyze factors that impact consumer acceptance. To this end, we studied the chemical profile (dry matter, sugars, acids) and fruit morphology (Tomato Analyzer) of 63 accessions grown in 2 environments (open air/soil culture; greenhouse/soilless culture). To identify traits underlying consumer preferences, we used a trained panel for quantitative descriptive sensory analyses and consumer surveys on a subset of genotypes. Our results confirm the higher content of reducing sugars (fructose, glucose), soluble solids, dry matter, and glutamic acid in the cherry group and the important effects of environ