ศูนย์นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีหลังการเก็บเกี่ยว

Onion pungency testing and consumer classification

J.B. Golding, S.Satyan, R. Meyer, L. Spohr, P. O'Riordan

Program and Abstract. 2007 Australasian Postharvest Conference. Crowne Plaza Terrigal, NSW, Australia. 12 September 2007. 87 p.

2007

บทคัดย่อ

The Australian mild o­nion industry lacks a reliable, cost-effective test for pungency. To guarantee that mild o­nions are not pungent, the development of a rapid and cost effective method for the assessment of o­nion pungency (pyruvate) is critical for the industry. An o­nion press was constructed at NSW DPI at the Wagga Agricultural Institute and was used in measuring o­nion pyruvate levels using the modified 'Schwimmer and Weston' method. This NATA accredited laboratory at NSW DPI measured over 1,500 o­nions for pyruvate and soluble solids content (SSC%) which were used to calibrate this to the Australian palate utilizing comprehensive taste panel comparisons. These trained and consumer panel assessments of raw o­nions were conducted at Food Science Australia in Sydney. The results show that trained panel could reliably and accurately perceive differences in pyruvate levels (pungency) between some different classes of o­nions based o­n their pyruvate level. Similarly the 100 untrained consumers could not detect differences in pungency between o­nions with the lower levels of pyruvate, but were able to reliably tell these o­nions from the higher levels of pyruvate. Conversely, the degree of consumer 'liking' of the different o­nions classes varied with perceived pungency. As expected, o­nions with the lower levels of pyruvate (less than 6 µM.mL-¹ pyruvate) were equally 'likable', with the more pungent o­nions equally 'un-likable'. The results will provide industry with a tool to consider the establishment of the mild o­nion industry in Australia. This project was funded by o­nion levies, facilitated by HAL in partnership with o­nions Australia (HA project VN 04016).

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