Industrial processing effects on chestnut fruits (Castanea sativa Mill.). 1. Starch, fat, energy and fibre

Summary This is the first two year study with the major aim of evaluating the effects at the four sequential major stages of industrial processing (A‐fresh, B‐after storage during 3 months at ±0 °C and RH = 90%, C‐after industrial peeling by flame or fire at 800–1000 °C, D‐after freezing in a tunnel with a CO2 flow at –65 °C) on the contents of important nutrients in the fruits of four Portuguese (Judia, Longal, Martaínha and Lada) and two European (‘Spanish’–Puga do Bolo, and ‘Italian’– Viterbes) cultivars of Castanea sativa Mill. Fruits were found to contain significant contents of crude energy but low fat. In both harvest years, the interaction cultivar × processing step had the greatest influence on the starch contents while the cultivar factor had a much greater influence on the dry matter content. The fibre contents were more influenced by the processing stage for both harvests years.