TITLE:
Comparison between Hydroponic and Soil-Grown Strawberries: Sensory Attributes and Correlations with Nutrient Content
AUTHORS:
Chenin Treftz, Zhang, Stanley T. Omaye
KEYWORDS:
Hydroponic, Sensory Evaluation, Sustainable Foods, Strawberry, Greenhouse
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.6 No.15,
November
19,
2015
ABSTRACT: Hydroponic growing methods are growing in popularity and seem to have numerous benefits (i.e., environmental, increased product yields, year round growing) compared to soil grown crops. Although these advantages are attractive, they do not guarantee a high quality product. Taste is a driver of consumer acceptance; therefore, sensory analysis of the hydroponic product will be an important indicator in its success. In this study, we evaluated the sensory differences and preferences in hydroponically grown and soil-grown strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa) using unspecified discriminatory and preference analyses, and descriptive testing correlated with nutrition content data. Most (87%) of participants could identify differences between hydroponically and soil grown strawberries and 70% preferred the hydroponically grown strawberry (p = 0.06). The nutrient composition of the strawberries significantly influenced several sensory analysis categories (sweetness, overall flavor and overall taste (p