Data_Blueberry_Sensory_Texture_Oh_et_al_2024

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) texture contributes to consumer satisfaction, shelf-life, and machine harvestability and is now a critical goal in breeding for new fresh market cultivars. The industry commonly uses instrumental methods to phenotype texture, assuming that instrumental measurements correlate with sensory perceptions. However, the relationship between perceived sensory textures and instrumental parameters is not well established. In this study, we characterized the fruit texture profile of 43 blueberry cultivars using nine sensory descriptors and determined the predictability of the sensory attributes using instrumental texture parameters. The sensory study was done by a trained descriptive sensory analysis panel, and instrumental analysis was performed using flat probe penetration and texture profile analysis (TPA) methods. This study provides a basis for breeding programs to utilize improved estimations of the sensorial texture using diverse instrumental parameters to enhance selection for desired blueberry textures.