Consumer response to "mushy" red delicious (?) apples.
March 12, 1999
Some Say Washington Apples Are Soft
Filed at 2:36 a.m. EST
By The Associated Press
WENATCHEE, Wash. (AP) -- Consumers are complaining that the Red
Delicious apple -- the symbol of Washington's apple industry -- too often is
about as delicious as a wad of cotton.
Surveys initiated by the Washington Apple Commission suggest that many
shoppers are not getting the crunchy, good apple they expect when they bite
into a Red Delicious these days.
Many consumers say the apple's attractive, deep red color promises
something tasty, but the inside disappoints. Taste and texture are
inconsistent, too often on the bland and mushy side.
''This is candid feedback about our product. We can listen to it or not,'' said
Steve Lutz, president of the commission. ''The future of the Red Delicious is
not over. But we better listen to what the consumers are saying.''
Lutz spoke at the 15th annual Washington Tree Fruit Post-harvest
Conference and Trade Show, attended by more than 600 representatives of
the fruit industry.
Red Delicious is still the top choice of shoppers across the country,
according to the 1998 survey. Thirty-eight percent of respondents from
2,000 households said it was their favorite apple.
But it's also the variety that has experienced the biggest decline in sales.
Consumers list crispness as the most important quality of a good apple.
''If they want soft, they'll buy a banana,'' Lutz said.
Half of those surveyed said they would buy more apples if they knew they
would be crisp.
The disparity between 38-percent public approval and an industry where half
the crop is Red Delicious has been bad for the industry this year, said Ron
Skagen, general manager of Wells and Wade Fruit Co.
''Consumers are increasingly dissatisfied with what we're delivering to
them,'' said Skagen, who noted that returns are at their lowest in years.
''Even the most successful Red Delicious growers are losing money.''
While warehouses and growers have focused on putting a beautiful crimson
apple on store shelves, they've lost ground on internal quality and taste. One
recent study shows that some new strains have sacrificed taste to achieve the
redder color, said Jim Mattheis, a USDA researcher.
The problem was obvious last year when a cool spring, a hot summer and a
huge crop made it difficult to harvest the fruit and get both crispness and
color. By the time most apples had turned fully red, they were overripe.
Lutz said no one in the survey even mentioned color as an important factor.
But fruit salesmen say that's not the reality they know.
''Even though consumers may not mention color, color is huge,'' said Mike
Saunders of Northwestern Fruit Co. in Yakima.
Stores won't accept anything less than a fully red apple, he said.
Lutz said perhaps the time has come to promote quality over color.
''We're now spending 40 cents a box on advertising our apples,'' said
Skagen. ''It's going to be wasted money if we can't deliver the product we
advertise.''
Researchers offered these suggestions:
--Using hormonal sprays that can retard maturity until good color is achieved.
--Picking the crop at the right maturity for the market in which it will sell.
--Cooling the fruit as quickly as possible after harvest and keeping it cool
throughout packing and storage.
--Considering controlled atmosphere storage for all apples that will be stored
for more than 30 days.
Copyright 1999 The New York Times Company |
