Discovering a volatile organic compound fingerprinting of Pouteria lucuma fruits

The unfamiliarity of European consumers with fresh tropical fruits has restricted their introduction on the international markets. Several tropical species, such as Pouteria lucuma, have instead a great economic potential for the European markets, producing edible fruits known for their nutritional and healing properties. Currently, fruit aroma and sensory characteristics are one of the primary factors determining the fresh fruit quality and consumers’ choice and purchasing intention. Therefore, in the last years great attention has been shown towards the characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which contribute to characterize odors and flavors of a wide variety of tropical fruits and that can attract the interest of consumers.