Texture of Hot-Air-Dried Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) Chips: Instrumental, Sensory, and Consumer Input for Product Development

Abstract

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) is an underutilized tree fruit. Previous studies have shown the feasibility of making a hot-air-dried, chip-style product from persimmon. However, the texture of this type of product has not been explored or connected to consumer preference. Thus, for dried samples representing 37 cultivars, this study aimed to (1) predict trained sensory panel texture attributes from instrumental measurements, (2) predict consumer liking from instrumental measurements and sensory texture attributes, and (3) elucidate whether astringency type affects dried product texture. Partial least-squares regression models of fair-to-good quality predicted all measured sensory texture attributes (except Tooth Packing) from instrumental measurements. Modeling also identified that consumer preference is for a moist, smooth texture. Lastly, while astringency type has significant (p < 0.05) effects on several individual texture attributes, astringency type should not be used a priori to screen-in or -out persimmon cultivars for processing into a hot-air-dried product.

From Diospyros kaki L. (Persimmon) Phytochemical Profile and Health Impact to New Product Perspectives and Waste Valorization

“…Partial least-squares regression (PLS) was employed to create models that predicted the sensory characteristics from instrumental measurements, and models that predicted the consumer liking score from both instrumental measurements and sensory attributes. These PLS models identified the texture characteristics that the consumers wanted the most for this product, and the preferences were clear: consumers preferred a smooth and moist texture rather than a more typical crispy and dry texture, which was ironically the texture that was originally intended [ 178 ]. With these studies, a new type of food produced 100% from persimmon emerges as an option for the consumer.…”