Aceitação de tomates orgânicos por consumidores de alimentos orgânicos e convencionais

Abstract

Consumers of organic tomatoes are becoming increasingly demanding when selecting fruits for consumption. Sensory analysis is an important tool aimed at improving market conditions by identifying key attributes to enhance their acceptance. The present study aimed to evaluate the sensory profile and acceptability of fruits from different varieties of table tomatoes produced under organic management. The research was conducted using the Preferred Attribute Elicitation (PAE) methodology, with a test applied to 75 volunteers, including 24 consumers who habitually consume organic tomatoes and 51 consumers who typically consume conventional tomatoes. The fruits were obtained from a greenhouse at the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR), Pato Branco Campus. Seven varieties were used, including four lines obtained from the tomato breeding program at UTFPR (UTFTo1726, UTFTo1717, UTFTo1718, and UTFTo1729), as well as three commercial varieties: AL (Alambra), GA (Gaucho), and GBT-16 (Genetic Bank Tomato - 16). The data from the PAE acceptance test phase were subjected to two-way ANOVA (formulations and judges), and differences between formulations were analyzed using the Tukey’s mean comparison test. The attribute data from the PAE phase were evaluated using Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA). In both tests, for both organic and conventional food consumers, the odor characteristic did not differ significantly. The fruits of UTFTo1718 and UTFTo1729 showed higher acceptance among organic consumers. For conventional food consumers, the UTFTo1717 variety showed higher acceptance. Regarding the GBT-16 variety, it had the lowest acceptance among both organic and conventional food consumers. The results of this study can guide future breeding programs and contribute to the sensory recognition of the organic tomato consumer market.