Characterising and tracking deterioration patterns of fresh-cut fruit using principal component analysis – Part I

• Principal component analysis (PCA) successfully tracked quality deterioration in fresh-cut fruit.
• Both freshness and deterioration were characterised.
• Effects of cultivar and geographic origin were apparent.
• PCA could form the basis of a more in-depth understanding of fresh-cut quality and help with strategies to optimise product quality.

Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to characterise quality deterioration patterns in fresh-cut pineapple, strawberry, kiwifruit and cantaloupe melon during storage. Twenty-seven physiological, biochemical, microbial and sensory attributes, reported as indices of quality, were used to successfully characterise and track deteriorative changes. Freshness for all fruit was characterised by PCA as excellent visual appearance, aroma and firmness. Deterioration was characterised, for the most part, by increased tissue breakdown (exudate and cell permeability levels), firmness loss, increased off-odour development, colour loss (browning and translucency) and high microbial counts. Effects of cultivar and geographic origin were apparent in some fruit. PCA has the potential to track the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors of deterioration during storage and could form the basis of future strategies to optimise quality.