Quality measurements of commercial gherkin pickles

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Worldwide, one of the most important challenges in gherkin pickle production is to ensure the supply of a product of consistent quality that is acceptable to consumers. Traditional quality measurements of pickles, however, lack standardized techniques that are grounded in science. The lack of standardization has led to poor quality products being released into the value chain, with the end result being a loss of confidence in the product. It is the objective of this research to develop a quality assurance program which can be implemented by Marcatus QED on an ongoing basis to assure constant quality of pickles distributed and avoid release of faulty product into the market. To achieve this goal the sensory description of pickles that have been identified by consumer complaints as "defective" and pickles that are considered "normal or good quality" will be profiled using modern sensory techniques and volatile testing. A scientific basic sensory profile of pickles will be developed and staff will be trained to use that profile as the base for the quality assurance program.