MEASUREMENT OF FRUIT PEELABILITY IN THE GENUS ACTINIDIA

Abstract

Actinidia (kiwifruit) vary in peeling behavior from “difficult to peel” to “easy to peel.” Thus, the breeding of new cultivars of commercially acceptable kiwifruit with peelable skins is possible. Identification of skin properties conferring peelability and development of a simple, repeatable method for measuring peelability will be critical to the success of breeding programs. We assessed mechanical and biological characteristics of kiwifruit skins with respect to the ease with which fruit could be peeled. Values for skin–flesh adhesion, skin compliance in tension, and skin tearing were obtained, and a simple method for quantifying peelability developed based on knowledge of tearing of sheet materials. Using this test, we established that peelability varies among kiwifruit selections, but is only evident once fruit has ripened. We demonstrated that efficiency of peeling was dependent on the radius of curvature from which the skin is drawn away from the flesh. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The development of a peelable kiwifruit will enhance the diversity of products in the kiwifruit category and provide consumers with a more convenient option for eating this type of fruit. The information presented in this study contributes to the knowledge of the biological, structural and mechanical properties that influence skin‐to‐flesh adhesion and skin tearing behavior. The simple protocol for assessing peelability may be adapted for use in screening seedling populations for this trait.

Marketability of ready-to-eat cactus pear as affected by temperature and modified atmosphere

“…On the other hand, greenyellow fruits were at a stage of intermediate peel thickness and pulp softness, which was scored by the panellist particularly suited to peel and consequently process cactus pear as RTE fruits (Table 1). Our results on peelability agreed with data obtained by Harker et al (2011) on kiwifruits. These authors found that the ease of skin detachment was closely related to the ripening process.…”

“…They indicated at least two ways in which ripening of flesh can have an impact on peelability of fruits. Firstly, it reduces the adhesion between the skin and the underlying flesh, and secondly it allows a discontinuity to develop between the soft flesh and the tougher skin (Harker et al 2011). Besides, these authors found a correlation between firmness and peelability, for which softer fruit peeled better than firmer fruit.…”

Cell separation in kiwifruit without development of a specialised detachment zone

“…This might account for the lower peel elasticity measured in this genotype [30] and the easy tearing and fragmentation of this tissue upon detachment. Gel strength and ultimately cell adhesion is influenced by the overall length of HG.…”

Supporting young researchers in food texture studies

“…New methods for precise evaluation of vegetables and fruits were proposed (Barikloo & Ahmadi, ; Boonmung, Chomtee, & Kanlayasiri, ; Camps, Guillermin, Mauget, & Bertrand, ; Dan et al, ; De Oliveira, Corrêa, Botelho, & De Oliveira, ; Desmet, Lammertyn, Verlinden, & Nicolaï, ; Kabas & Ozmerzi, ; Lana, Tijskens, De Theije, Dekker, & Barrett, ; Maury et al, ; Park, Chun, Lee, Lee, & Kim, ; Puangsombut, Pathaveerat, Terdwongworakul, & Puangsombut, ; Solomon & Jindal, ; Terdwongworakul, Puangsombat, & Pathaveerat, ; Trnka, Pavloušek, Medomoca, & Buchar, ; Valero et al, ; Vandenberghe & Claes, ; Vincent, Saunders, & Beyts, ). A specified part of vegetable and fruits, such as single cells from tomato pericarp (Wang, Pritchard, & Thomas, ), cell walls of carrot and potato (Zdunek & Umeda, ), carrot cell walls (Kurita & Masuda, ), epidermal tissue of onion (Hepworth & Bruce, ), and kiwi peelability (Harker, Hallett, White, & Seal, ) were also investigated.…”