Sensory Analysis of a New Citrus Juice made from 'Aliza' Fruit: A New Pomelo x Mandarin Hybrid

Author(s): Hagar Pardo, Abiola Owoyemi, Ofir Benjamin, Livnat Goldenberg, Yossi Yaniv, Adi Doron-Faigenboim, Nir Carmi, Ron Porat

The sensory qualities of the juice of 'Aliza', a new pomelo × mandarin hybrid developed by the Israeli citrus breeding program, ARO, The Volcani Center, were analyzed and compared with orange and red grapefruit juices, whom are the most consumed citrus juices worldwide. The conducted sensory analysis of fresh 'Aliza', orange and red-grapefruit juices included flavor-description tests, consumer-acceptance tests, preference tests and evaluations by an electronic tongue (e-tongue) and an electronic nose (e-nose). The flavor of 'Aliza' juice is characterized by high sweetness, moderate sourness and bitterness, and strong citrusy and tropical fruity aromas. 'Aliza' juice is bitterer than orange juice and has less of a citrusy odor, but a stronger tropical odor. It is less sour and bitter than grapefruit juice and has a stronger tropical aroma. 'Aliza' fruit have a very high juice content, and its juice achieved the highest consumer-acceptability score among all of the examined citrus juices and was most preferred by the majority of all tasters. Objective taste-profile evaluations by the e-tongue revealed significant differences in sourness, bitterness and umami tastes among 'Aliza', orange and grapefruit juices. We conclude that 'Aliza' juice is different from orange juice and grapefruit juice and is highly preferred by consumers, and thus 'Aliza' fruit may be used for the development of a new preferred citrus beverage.