Multistate Research Project S-294 – Postharvest Quality and Safety in Fresh-cut Vegetables and Fruits

Activities Objective 1. Evaluate methods of sampling and measuring flavor and nutrition of fresh-cut products to facilitate comparison to traditional shelf life factors.  Barrett and Negre and other colleagues completed work on aroma volatiles and flavor quality in melons. See Vallone et al., 2013 publication.  Cantwell and associates are studying the relationship between ammonia concentrations and quality of intact and fresh-cut leafy and green vegetables.  The hedonic 9-point scale was compared with the hedonic general Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS). (Kalva et al., 2014).  Continued studies using trained descriptive panels and chemical analysis (volatiles, sugars, acids) to evaluate citrus, strawberry, and tomato germplasm from University of Florida and ARS Ft. Pierce. 10-years of tomato data are being analyzed to establish a model for tomato quality. (USDA ARS US Hort. Research Lab)  Continued flavor research on strawberries: inheritability of the aroma volatile methylanthranilate (MA). MA imparts fruity flavor to strawberries and is only produced in European lines. (USDA ARS US Hort. Research Lab)  Conducted studies on effect of greening disease (Hunaglongbing, HLB) on citrus fruit with emphasis on effect of pre-harvest nutritional sprays.Evaluation of GC-MS sampling technology for volatile flavor analysis of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, especially binding site competition in a SPME sampling system. (USDA ARS US Hort. Research Lab)  Initiated study to evaluate flavor of Citrus x Poncirus hybrids that might impart partial resistance to citrus greening disease (HLB) due to Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. (USDA ARS US Hort. Research Lab)  Initiated study to evaluate physical quality of citrus peel and flesh influenced by citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing). (USDA ARS US Hort. Research Lab)