Shall the customer learn how tasty may fruit taste?

The goals of the study by Diehl et al. (see "Sources") were to identify the retail-purchasing factors deemed most and least important by grower/packer/shippers (GPS) and retailers when purchasing fruits (melons, pears, peaches/nectarines, tomatoes, strawberries, and blueberries), and to identify factors rated significantly different by these two groups. A major survey revealed that both groups agreed that fruits being free of defects and of appropriate firmness were among the most important factors for retailers, and also that aroma was among the least important factors. Points of departure between GPS and retailer self-assessments occurred with GPS rating price and size of fruit as more important than retailers, and GPS rating essential quality characteristics as less important than retailers. Given the link between high-quality, flavorful fruits and increased consumer consumption of fruit, industry professionals will benefit from increased research as well as expanded dialogue to bridge the gap between perception and reality, indicates the Abstract of the paper. The dicussion also mentions results that indicate scarce experience in eating ripe, tasty fruit. Two of them:GPS rating price and size as more important retail-purchasing factors than retailers self-assessed, and GPS rating flavor, brix, and supplier reputation as less important than retailers self-assessed. It is interesting that when GPS assess retail-purchasing practices, key measures of fruit quality and flavor components such as aroma, brix, and flavor are perceived to be of relatively low importance. To teach to cook becames "cool" some years ago, and may be still is. Seems that the customer needs to learn again how good tasty fruit may taste... SourcesWhat Factors Do Retailers Value When Purchasing Fruits? Perceptions of Produce Industry ProfessionalsDavid C. Diehl (a), Nicole L. Sloan (b), Jeffrey K. Brecht (c) and Elizabeth J. Mitcham (d)(a)Associate Professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, 3038B McCarty Hall D., University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA. Phone: 352-273-3526 Email: dcdiehl@ufl.edu(b) Research Coordinator, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, 3038B McCarty Hall D., University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA(c) Director, Center for Food Distribution and Retailing, Horticultural Sciences Department, PO Box 110690,1301 Fifield Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA(d) Cooperative Extension Specialist and Pomologist, Postharvest Technology Center, Department of Plant Sciences, 1047 Wickson, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USAJournal of Food Distribution Research, 2015, 46(3): 81-91. Picture by www.123rf.comA. Namesny, info@poscosecha.com