Improving the quality of apples

Description

Apples are one of the most highly consumed fruits globally, with estimations that almost 88 million tonnes of apples are produced worldwide each year. As a result of this popularity, consumers have extremely high expectations of the sensory quality of the apples they consume.

Improving the quality of apples provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research on the processes which determine the key quality attributes of apples, including texture, flavour and nutritional content. The book addresses how these properties can be enhanced during the pre- and postharvest stages to ensure product quality and customer satisfaction, as well as the role of breeding programmes in identifying genes directly related to sensory quality characteristics.

In its detailed exploration of the key quality attributes of apples, the book provides its readers with an insight into the science behind producing the ‘perfect’ product and how influential quality attributes are on consumer purchasing behaviours.

Key features

• Reviews recent advances in understanding and improving the major quality attributes of apples, including texture development, flavour development and nutritional content
• Considers the utilisation of particular breeding and crop management practices to optimise fruit quality during the pre- and postharvest stages of production, including the use of preservation techniques such as hydrocooling and edible coatings
• Addresses the influence of the genetic and biochemical factors which can affect texture, flavour and the development of key nutraceutical compounds in apples

Table of contents

View/pre-order chapters

Part 1 Quality attributes

• 1.Consumer perception of apple quality: Masoumeh Bejaei and Jennifer Arthur, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada; and Margaret A. Cliff, The University of British Columbia, Canada;
• 2.Advances in understanding texture development in apples: Hilde Nybom, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden;
• 3.Advances in understanding the nutritional and nutraceutical properties of apples: Gabriela Ploscutanu, University of Galati, Romania;
• 4.Advances in understanding the development of nutraceutical compounds in apples: Matteo Scampicchio, Free University of Bolzano, Italy;

Part 2 Breeding and crop management to optimise quality

• 5.Incorporating quality traits into apple breeding programmes: Kate Evans, Washington State University, USA;
• 6.Advances in understanding pre-harvest apple fruit development: Luigi Manfrini, University of Bologna, Italy;
• 7.Advances in pre-harvest management of apple quality: J. A. Cline, University of Guelph, Canada;
• 8.Post-harvest management of apple quality: Zora Singh, Edith Cowan University, Australia;