Spinach grown locally and in high tunnels: consumer taste test
What it found
In a taste test with 205 people, spinach grown in high tunnels was liked more overall, and for its flavor and texture, than open field or store bought spinach.
What they found
Studies in people
Overall liking
High tunnel spinach scored higher for overall liking than open field and store bought spinach.
Flavor and texture liking
High tunnel spinach also scored higher for flavor liking and texture liking than the other two.
Consumer preference
The authors say consumers preferred locally grown spinach for its high eating quality.
Other findings
Premium quality traits
Locally grown spinach had stronger green color and green or spinach flavors, which the authors link to premium quality.
What the authors conclude
“Our results indicate that locally grown spinach was preferred from the consumers for its high organoleptic quality.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say locally grown spinach was preferred by consumers for its high organoleptic quality.
- They say the results can be used to develop marketing strategies aimed at shoppers seeking fresh produce of high organoleptic quality.
How it was done
More shoppers want locally grown fresh produce, and many believe it tastes better than nonlocal, but there was little evidence for that claim.
Spinach of the Corvair variety was grown in an open field and in a high tunnel in Kansas in spring 2017, and store bought spinach was also used. 205 people took part in a consumer test, and a trained panel described the sensory qualities.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a taste test of one spinach variety grown in one place in one season, so the results may not apply to other spinach.
- It does not show whether people would buy or eat more local spinach over time.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by National Institute of Food and Agriculture (from the PubMed record).
The paper
- Title
- Descriptive Analysis and Consumer Acceptability of Locally and Commercially Grown Spinach
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Batziakas KG, Talavera M, Swaney-Stueve M, Rivard CL, Pliakoni ED (2019). Descriptive Analysis and Consumer Acceptability of Locally and Commercially Grown Spinach. Journal of food science. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.14710PubMed 31313301DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error