Prediction of consumer acceptable quality of cooking banana hybrids

Abstract

Cooking bananas (East African Highland Bananas - EAHBs) also known as “Matooke” play a vital role as a staple food and income source in East Africa, yet consumer acceptability and quality traits remain underexplored. This study aimed to profile the culinary, sensory, and physicochemical and biochemical properties of EAHBs and to develop predictive models linking these traits to consumer preferences. Specifically, the objectives were to: (1) profile the culinary properties of EAHBs, (2) determine sensory attributes and consumer acceptability traits, (3) evaluate instrumental, physicochemical, and biochemical properties relevant to cooking bananas, and (4) develop predictive models for quality based on the instrumental, physicochemical, biochemical and sensory attributes. Culinary analysis revealed significant variability among EAHB varieties in terms of perception. The most important attributes for both preference and acceptance of new hybrids were deep yellow colour of the cooked Matooke, soft texture, smooth mouthfeel, “Matooke aroma”, and non-astringent taste. Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) revealed that firmness of the Matooke in the mouth was well predicted by hardness when touched (R2=0.85). QDA’s ability to discriminate among the banana hybrids revealed that it may be used as a tool during the assessment and selection of new cooking banana hybrids to identify relevant sensory attributes. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis (AHC) ranked the matooke samples into two sensory clusters. Cluster 1 which consisted of mainly hybrids with the exception of three landraces (Kabucuragye, Nakawere, and Nfuuka) was characterized by hardness, firmness in the mouth, non-yellow colour, non- homogenous colour, no Matooke aroma and low intensity of sweetness. Except six hybrids (NARITA 18, NARITA 4, NARITA 17, NARITA14, NARITA 7r1, NARITA 7r2), cluster 2 was mainly landraces characterized by a yellow homogenous colour, good Matooke aroma, sweetness, and high moldability. The study showed attribute terms that could be used to describe Matooke, and also revealed that QDA may be used as a tool during the assessment and selection of new cooking banana hybrids to identify relevant sensory attributes because of its ability to discriminate among the banana hybrids.