For the past two months, CTIFL, the Paris-based technical centre for fruit and vegetables, has conducted consumer tests to examine the possibility of segmenting peaches and nectarines into separate categories, according to a report from Fld.
Three groups have reportedly been tested: 'Sweetness' for the sweetest fruit, 'Harmony' for the more balanced fruit, and 'Vitality' for more acidic fruit.
The tests were conducted in Auchan à Plaisir in Yvelines, Grand Frais in Nîmes and Le Fruitier de Montmartre in Paris, with consumers informed of the operation at point of purchase, questioned and then telephoned four days later.
'We had the idea to segment peaches and nectarines to help consumers make better choices,' said Christian Hilaire at CTIFL. 'We have close to 400 consumer responses, and we will present the results at the peach and nectarine day at CTIFL in Balandran on 22 November.'
