Abstract
In a pre-purchase situation, consumer perception of mandarin quality is almost exclusively based on fruit appearance. Determination of consumer requirements in this regard is needed to preserve the current success of this crop in markets worldwide. In this study, the effect on consumer choice of different appearance characteristics that can occur mainly in early-season mandarins was quantified. Two independent Choice-Based Conjoint Analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of different external mandarin factors: (1) two factors linked mainly with harvesting practices: ‘Leaf’ (no leaves but sound calyx/fresh leaf/dehydrated leaf) and ‘Rind Colour’ (orange colour/rind with slightly greenish areas); (2) three factors related to postharvest handling: ‘Calyx Condition’ (sound/blackening/detached),’Waxing’ (absence/presence of wax), and ‘Rind Condition’ (dehydrated/turgid). A total of 280 consumers participated in each study. The evaluation of the factors linked with harvesting revealed four different choice patterns. Leaf presence was appreciated only by a small group of consumers (20%), and the presence of greenish areas on the rind was perceived mostly as a negative characteristic. Among the evaluated postharvest-related factors, ‘Waxing’ and ‘Calyx condition’ had the strongest effect on consumer choice. Consumers showed marked preferences for mandarins that had been waxed and presented shine and gloss. Calyx blackening and detachment had a negative effect mainly on waxed fruit, while rind dehydration more negatively affected the fruit that had not been waxed. Consumer perception of mandarin quality is importantly affected by external mandarin characteristics. The information herein reported can be very useful for the citrus industry for adapting quality control criteria that respond to consumer demands.
Highlights
The global citrus fruit production has been estimated to be close to 158 million tons, and represents the major fruit tree crop in the world [1]
Two independent Choice-Based Conjoint Analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of different external mandarin factors: (1) two factors linked mainly with harvesting practices: ‘Leaf’ and ‘Rind Colour’; (2) three factors related to postharvest handling: ‘Calyx Condition’,’Waxing’, and ‘Rind Condition’
The three postharvest-related factors were hypothesised to have a negative effect on consumer choice as we evaluated the effect of detached/blackened calyx, absence of wax, and dehydrated rind compared to the standard mandarin
Summary
The global citrus fruit production has been estimated to be close to 158 million tons, and represents the major fruit tree crop in the world [1]. Of the main citrus species, the production of oranges is the most important in terms of quantity. While the world orange production increased by 15% between 2009 and 2019, mandarin production rose by over 60% during the same period [1]. Mandarin fruit, with its convenient size and easy peeling feature, is gaining market ground compared to oranges. In order to maintain and enhance the current success of mandarins in markets around the world, it is necessary for all supply chain stakeholders (producers, packing houses, marketers, and distributors) to be aware of how to meet consumer quality requirements. In a prepurchase situation, not all these quality attributes are obvious and consumers have to base their choice almost exclusively on external appearance
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