Valuation of the quality attributes of tomato for fresh market: a study with CEAGESP wholesalers

The great variation in the value of tomato from the same variety group, same classification and on the same day of marketing, registered by the Terminal Market of CEAGESP, were related to the difference in quality among the attributes of those fruits. The main goal of this work was to create a tool for the evaluation of the quality attributes considered important for tomatoes and from the assessment of these attributes target the most relevant for the difference in value practiced during commercialization at CEAGESP. Firstly, based on the interview with the agents of commercialization of tomatoes at CEAGESP, the main attributes seen by them, which determine the quality of tomato, were raised. Based on those answers, in a second stage, a gauge visual quality assessment was created to be used as a differential tool in the process of decision making. In a third stage, the maximum and minimum price for three classifications (big, medium and minute) were raised for lots of tomato in the same day and their quality attributes were evaluated for two systems: system I - the quality attributes were evaluated, based on banknotes of performance according to the loading gauge visual, and for system II - in addition to the assessment by notes according to the loading gauge visual, the frequency of occurrence of the attribute in a lot of tomato was measured. The attributes that determine the quality of tomato, according to the tomatoes commercialization agents from CEAGESP, are: size (type or size), fruit color, absence of defects, durability, packaging and flavor. The most important attributes to explain the variation of prices assessed by the system I are packaging that are suitable to be palletized and packaging that provides an appropriate pile, on the other hand, for system II, these attributes are: fruit without superficial skin damage and adequate protection of the package against mechanical injuries.