The final perceivable quality of apple is obviously one of the most important aspects (maybe the most important) to consider in breeding, selection and commercialization.

The rationale of this project is, on one side, to provide FEM with a cutting-edge sensory and consumer analysis of relevant apples cultivars and, on the other, to identify instrumental approaches able to rapidly and effectively monitor the quality of apple.

This study comprises:

• The achievement of a state-of-the-art sensory profiling facility to be applied for apple investigation and comprehensive sensory description of apple cultivars of relevance for FEM by sensory profiling activities.

• The identification consumers’ preference for different apple cultivars, its drivers and possible market sector by consumer studies.

• The attainment of a comprehensive instrumental description of all apple samples investigated by sensory and consumer methods: basic characterization (chemical and physical parameters), texture analysis (both by mechanical and acoustic methods), volatile analysis (gas-chromatography; PTR-MS in collaboration with the FEM Volatile Compound Technological Platform).

• The identification and validation of models for the prediction of sensory parameters on the basis of instrumental data.

• The investigation of the effects of multisensory perception in the appreciation of apple fruits.