The Centre for Food Research and Development (CIAD), was able to identify the elements that compose the flavor of the Golden Delicious and Red Delicious apples, in the region of Chihuahua. With this knowledge they aim to position this region´s apples as top sellers favored by the domestic and international markets.
Research done by Dr. Guadalupe Isela Olivas Orozco, reports that one of the characteristics of the apple harvested in Chihuahua is that, despite being smaller and less strong, it has a more pronounced taste.
This represents a significant advantage over the Golden Delicious and Red Delicious apples, grown in Washington, U.S., said the researcher, who was recently awarded the State Prize for Science and Technology Chihuahua 2011, for her innovative contributions to food technology.
The analysis made by the experts of the Cuauhtémoc unit of the CIAD, consisted in identifying the chemicals that give the apple its flavor, such as aldehydes, alcohols and esters. The latter are volatile and are responsible for the predominant flavor in ripe apples.
The Mexican fruit was chemically compared with the one produced in the state of Washington during three consecutive harvests (2007-2009) throughout its development and ripening on the tree. The results revealed that while attributes like fruit firmness and acidity for the U.S. apple were higher, the volatile elements did not develop as pronounced as with the domestic product.
The results showed that Chihuahua´s apple has significantly higher content of 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, butyl acetate, 1 hexenal, hexanol, 2-methylbutyl acetate and hexyl acetate, main volatile compounds responsible for its flavor.
Source: Agencia ID