Welcome to the VFIC Webpage

Onion Research

Onion Flavor and Nutritional Quality

Scientists at the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center are working to develop onion cultivars with a milder and sweeter flavor and increased levels of antioxidants to satisfy the consumer and aid in human disease prevention. This work is being accomplished by combining traditional plant breeding techniques with chromatographic and spectrophotometric procedures for chemical analysis.

There are currently four groups of compounds that are of interest:

• Pungency levels as estimated by measuring pyruvic acid

• Sugar content that contributes to sweetness

• Quercetin, an antioxidant found in yellow and red onions

• Anthocyanins, a group of antioxidants found in red onions.