Effect of Fruit Size and Huanglongbing Disease on Orange Juice Attributes

Abstract

This study examined the sensory impact of the combined factors of orange fruit size and huanglongbing (citrus greening) disease status on juice sweetness, orange flavor and overall acceptability. A sensory evaluation test was carried out in duplicate at the University of Florida campus with two untrained panels (n = 99 and n = 88) performing a consumer acceptance test on juice from two sizes (large and small, L/S) and two disease-affected statuses (healthy and greeningaffected, GR–/GR+) oranges. Panelists rated the sensory characteristics (sweetness, orange flavor and overall acceptability) of four juice samples from healthy small (GRS–) and large (GRL–) oranges as well as greening-affected small (GRS+) and large (GRL+) oranges using the 9-point hedonic scale. Overall, the panelists rated the juice from “GRS–” the highest in all three sensory categories. Similarly, panelists rated the juice from “GRL+” oranges the lowest in all three sensory categories. Juice from “GRS+” oranges was found to be rated higher in all three sensory categories than juice from “GRL+” fruit. This may be relevant in large-scale commercial orange juice processing where juice from greening-affected small fruit may be more acceptable when blended with juice from healthy oranges.