Improving the quality of apples (Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science, 142)

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. Cover Title Page Half Title Page Copyright Page Contents Series list Introduction Part 1 Quality attributes Chapter 1 Consumer perception of apple quality 1 Introduction 2 Schematic diagram illustrating the factors associated with consumer perception of apple quality 3 Influence of product-related factors on consumer perception of apple quality 4 Influence of consumer-related factors on consumer perception of apple quality 5 Influence of social environment-related factors on consumer perception of apple quality 6 Future research considerations on consumer perception of apple quality 7 Overview of consumer perception of apple quality 8 Where to look for further information 9 References Chapter 2 Advances in understanding texture development in apples 1 Introduction 2 Anatomy and physiology of fruit texture traits 3 Evaluation of fruit texture parameters 4 Influence of growing conditions 5 Fruit texture and storability 6 Fruit texture and fungal diseases 7 Genetic determination of texture 8 Association between texture and aroma 9 Selection/breeding achievements 10 Conclusion and future trends 11 Where to look for further information 12 References Chapter 3 Advances in understanding the nutritional and nutraceutical properties of apples 1 Introduction 2 The phytochemical composition of apples 3 Nutraceuticals in apple products 4 The role of apple nutraceutical compounds in promoting health and preventing disease 5 Conclusion 6 References Chapter 4 Advances in understanding the development of antioxidant nutraceutical compounds in apples 1 Introduction 2 Nutritional composition of apples: macronutrients and micronutrients 3 Phytochemicals in apples: phenolic acids 4 Phytochemicals in apples: flavonoids 5 Phytochemicals in apples: antioxidants in essential oils 6 Distribution of antioxidants in apples 7 Oxidative damage in apples and its impact on quality 8 Preventing oxidative damage: antioxidant mechanisms and measurement 9 Pre-harvest changes in antioxidant content: maturation and ripening 10 Post-harvest changes in the antioxidant content 11 Post-harvest techniques to preserve antioxidant content 12 Antioxidant bioavailability 13 Health benefits of antioxidants in apples 14 Conclusion and future trends 15 References Part 2 Breeding and crop management to optimise quality Chapter 5 Breeding for fruit quality improvement in apple 1 Introduction 2 Phenotyping 3 DNA-informed breeding 4 Fruit quality traits 5 Genomewide selection 6 Conclusion and future trends 7 Where to look for further information 8 References Chapter 6 Advances in understanding pre-harvest apple fruit development 1 Introduction 2 Apple fruit growth models and precision orchard management 3 Apple fruit growth: cell organisation and intercellular spaces 4 Environmental factors affecting fruit growth: light, temperature, altitude and latitude 5 Agronomic factors affecting fruit growth: crop load and thinning, irrigation and tree architecture 6 Fruit development and pre-harvest fruit sensory quality 7 Conclusion 8 Where to look for further information 9 References Chapter 7 Advances in pre-harvest management of apple quality 1 Introduction 2 Emerging issues affecting pre-harvest management of apple quality 3 Conclusion and future trends in research 4 Where to look for further information 5 References Chapter 8 Postharvest management of apple quality 1 Introduction 2 Pre-storage 3 Storage 4 Packaging 5 Transportation 6 Conclusion and future trends in research 7 Where to look for further information 8 References Index