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BACKGROUND: The concession of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) often depends more on historical criteria rather than on objective descriptions of the products to be protected. Only in a few cases (e.g., wines) are the characteristics that justify the concession of PDO starting to be scientifically documented. The present study aimed to determine whether sensory and commercial differences in beans could be used to objectively define PDOs. As a model we studied beans from two areas in Catalonia that market similar products and that are applying for PDO recognition (‘Mongetes del Ganxet Valles-Maresme’ and ‘Fesols de Santa Pau’). RESULTS: Sensory panel studies and agronomical measurements showed that beans from the two PDO candidates can be clearly differentiated both on appearance and sensory qualities. Furthermore, some sensory differences related to soil variation were detected within the PDO ‘Mongetes del Ganxet Valles-Maresme’, the larger and more heterogeneous of the two PDOs. This would enable commercial differentiation within the PDO according to the different gastronomical properties of the product. CONCLUSION: An objective approach based on sensory and agromorphological traits can be used to objectively delimitate PDOs in beans and better protect their markets. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry

The increase in the consumption of pulses in developed countries is strongly related to the availability of varieties with high-quality sensory attributes. Local varieties show variability of this characteristic but the extent is unknown. This study aims to assess the variability in texture and chemical composition among traditional Spanish varieties of common beans. Texture differences among varieties found by panellists correspond to chemical variation, although chemical differences within varieties seem greater than those reported in sensory analyses. It seems reasonable to screen existing information on the chemical composition of common beans to identify promising varieties to be tested in sensory trials. Nevertheless, selection within varieties should be performed only after sensory tests on the degree of differences shown by extreme genotypes for components such as protein or starch. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry