Spinach grown in high tunnels liked most by consumers
What it found
In a blind taste test with 205 people, spinach grown locally in high tunnels was liked more for overall, flavor and texture than open-field or store-bought spinach.
A trained panel found local spinach had stronger green color and spinach flavors.
What they found
Studies in people
Consumer liking
High tunnel spinach scored higher for overall liking, flavor liking and texture liking than open-field and store-bought spinach. Open-field and store-bought spinach were liked about the same.
Appearance liking
All three spinach types had similar scores for appearance liking.
Penalty analysis
High tunnel spinach had the fewest penalties for not being just about right. Open-field spinach was penalized for too much overall flavor and being too crunchy or thick.
Other findings
Descriptive analysis
A trained panel found that locally grown spinach had stronger green color and green/spinach flavors. Store-bought spinach had weaker green color and green flavors.
Flavor attributes
High tunnel spinach had higher intensity of green, grassy/leafy, viney, water-like, sweet, bitter and salty attributes. Open-field spinach was more bitter than store-bought spinach.
What the authors conclude
- They say that locally grown spinach, especially from high tunnels, had better sensory quality and was liked more by consumers.
- They suggest that producers and retailers of locally grown spinach can use these results to develop marketing strategies for consumers seeking high organoleptic quality.
- They recommend that future studies use commercially grown spinach of the same variety and harvest day to separate the effects of cultivar, growing method and harvest day.
How it was done
Consumers often think locally grown produce tastes better, but there was little evidence for this claim. The authors wanted to see if growing spinach locally in high tunnels or open fields made a difference to its taste and whether people liked it more.
They grew spinach in high tunnels and open fields in Kansas, and bought commercially grown organic baby spinach from a store. A trained panel of six people described the spinach, and 205 consumers rated their liking of the three types in a blind taste test.
What it can’t tell you
- This study only tested one variety of spinach and one growing season, so the results may not apply to other varieties or years.
- The commercially grown spinach was from an unknown variety and growing method, so differences could be due to factors other than where it was grown.
- The consumer test was done at a single event with a broad range of people, so it may not represent all shoppers.
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
- Full text
- 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:10.1111/1750-3841.14710Free full textPubMed 31313301DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error