The concentrations of sugars and organic acids as well as the total soluble solid (TSS) in different parts of the strawberry fruit were characterized. The data were used to create simulated fruit juice jellies, in order to clarify how the sugar and organic acid levels affect the taste. Such an approach eliminates the influence of external factors such as size, color, and texture when using real fruits in sensory evaluations. Further, the use of a jelly allowed us to simulate the concentration differences between various parts of the fruit. In the strawberry fruit, the sugar content is higher in the apex than in the peduncle; however, the level of organic acids is the same throughout. It was revealed that the sweetness and sourness in the apex and peduncle could be sufficiently recognized by humans as tastes. Also, a layered jelly sample replicating the sugar and acid distribution in real strawberry was perceived as less sweet and more sour, compared to a homogeneous one with the same overall composition. The likely reason is that the sourness in the peduncle is accentuated by the low TSS level, which decreases the TSS/total organic acid ratio that affects the sweetness/sour perceptions. Based on these results, factors for the appropriate sensory evaluation of fresh fruits in general were considered. Specifically, the distribution of sugars and organic acids in the fruit should be analyzed first, and bite‐sized parts with concentrations close to the average provide the most accurate evaluation results.

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3,3'-Dinitrobisphenol A (dinitro-BPA) is formed in a mixture of bisphenol A (BPA) and nitrite under acidic conditions. It shows genotoxicity in male ICR mice on a micronucleus test, but its estrogenic activity has not been examined in vivo. We examined its estrogenic activity using goldfish (Carassius auratus) by measuring plasma levels of vitellogenin (VTG) by the ELISA method. Expression of VTG didn't increase in the plasma of goldfish intraperitoneal injected with dinitro-BPA at a dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight. We also examined the genotoxicity of dinitro-BPA by single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) and a micronucleus test using goldfish. The DNA tail moment of blood cells increased after intraperitoneal injection of dinitro-BPA. Dinitro-BPA at the same dose significantly increased micronucleus frequency in gills of goldfish. On the other hand, BPA did not significantly increase the frequency of micronucleated cells. In conclusion, we found that dinitro-BPA did not show estrogenic activity, but had genotoxic potency stronger than that of BPA.

This study investigated the effect of storage temperature in the presence or absence of film packaging on the Benihoppe and Kirapika varieties of Japanese strawberries stored for 28 days at 0°C and 3°C. The study was conducted in a 20‐foot reefer container for practicality. Storage at 0°C suppressed decay and reduction in sugars and organic acids more efficiently than that at 3°C. Softening of fruit hardness was also suppressed depending on the variety. The reduction in sugars and organic acids did not affect strawberry palatability. Along with low temperature, long‐term storage of strawberries also requires the use of film packaging, which prevents drying. Without film packaging, storage at both 0°C and 3°C decreased fresh weight significantly, resulting in loss of commercial value. In contrast, storage in film packaging decreased weight reduction to <5%, even after 28 days cold storage.