S17 - Session O4 - Linking biochemistry and genetics to taste and flavour perceived by the consumer, creating a more acceptable celery product.

Authors: Carol Wagstaff *, Lucy Turner, Stella Lignou

Celery (Apium graveolens) is a biennial crop grown across the globe for its health benefits and distinct flavours. Consumed either raw, in salads or forming the base of many soups, stocks and sauces, celery is a major constituent of the "holy trinity" in many cuisines. Current research investigating the aroma profile of celery excludes information about the cultivar, origin, geographical location of growth and other variables producing misinterpreted and unrepeatable data. All of these factors have been marked as drivers of crop performance in literature. Using various celery genotypes in a multi-year (2018 and 2020) and multi-site (UK and Spain) experiments, factors including cultivar, maturity, geographical location and harvest year and their influence over the aroma composition of celery have been investigated. By combining solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the aroma profile of celery has been studied. Volatile composition variations and the impact on sensory perception has been examined through sensory profiling with a trained panel (n=11). Significant differences in the volatile composition were observed to be influenced by genotype, maturity, harvest year and geographical location, thus leading to significant differences in the sensory profile. Warmer temperatures resulted in celery with higher proportions of sesquiterpenes and phthalides whereas in cooler temperatures, higher proportions of monoterpenes were observed. Three genotypes exhibited similar volatile compositions and sensory profiles regardless of these factors and were genetically crossed prior to presentation to a consumer panel (n=118) identifying the consumer acceptability and attribute preference of three celery hybrids and their parental genotypes. Studying the relationship between genotype and environment provided information to guide growers in how to consistently produce a higher quality crop. Consumer segmentation identified three groups of consumers exhibiting differences in the hedonic reaction to the celery samples. Moist mouthfeel and sweet taste were identified as drivers of liking.