Chestnuts (Castanea sativa Mill.) were subjected to three different coatings -chitosan, alginate and whey proteinand stored under refrigeration (0°C, 90% HR) during 6 months. The shell color parameters a*, b* and C showed a tendency to decrease in all samples, while L* increased in alginate coated chestnuts. Application of coatings had no effect on moisture, water activity (a w ), as well as in the color inside the fruit and texture parameters (maximum penetration force and hardness). On the contrary, acidity and total soluble solids increased during storage in coated samples. The chitosan coating reduced chestnuts microorganisms' counts after 6 months of storage, compared to the control. In conclusion, chitosan coating improved the microbial quality of chestnuts, so it is a possible preservation alternative and an effective method to solve the problem of microbial growth in chestnuts throughout storage.

There is a commercial requirement to extend the shelf-life of chestnuts. This study aimed to determine the effect of different packages (modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) (0.3% O 2 and 32% CO 2 ), polyethylene (PE) and vacuum (VAC)) on physicochemical and microbial properties of raw chestnuts during storage (1, 2, 3 and 6 months). The results showed that the storage time and packaging type influence chestnuts properties. VAC and MAP showed a decrease in the a w , maximum force, and hardness values of the fruits at the end of storage. All treatments may also cause color modifications in the fruit. Total acidity and total soluble solids values remained similar between samples, although they increased in the first two months of storage. During the storage period, there was a significant increase in microorganism counts in the control and PE samples, being observed germination after one month in the latter situation. On the contrary, the use of MAP and VAC could significantly control the proliferation of the microorganisms; however, after 3 to 6 months, the chestnuts lost quality, showing a fermented smell.

. (2017). Physico-chemical and sensory characterization of fruit jams of S. Tomé and Príncipe. Millenium, 2(3), 75-82. m 3 76 RESUMO Introdução: São Tomé e Príncipe tem uma grande variedade de árvores frutíferas, sendo a maioria dos frutos consumida em fresco. Em certos períodos do ano, os frutos estão disponíveis em quantidades significativas, não sendo comum usar o excedente. Assim, o excedente de frutos pode ser usado na preparação de outros produtos (ex. doces), para aumentar a diversidade de produtos e permitir o consumo anual desses frutos sazonais. Objetivos: Avaliar as características dos frutos de S. Tomé e Príncipe. Métodos: Preparação de doces de banana, cajá-manga, goiaba (escura e clara) e mamão, com diferentes teores de açúcar, e posteriormente proceder à sua caracterização físico-química (cor, pH, teor de humidade e acidez) e sensorial, através de testes de preferência e aceitabilidade. Resultados: Os doces preparados apresentaram diferentes cores e valores de acidez, humidade e cinza, demonstrando a possibilidade de elaboração de diferentes produtos pela modificação da formulação. Quanto à preferência dos doces, 60% dos consumidores preferiram os menos doces no caso da banana e goiaba (clara), enquanto mais de 67% dos participantes preferiram o doce de cajá-manga mais doce. Quanto à goiaba escura e papaia, as percentagens foram semelhantes para ambos os teores de açúcar. Para todos os atributos analisados (aparência, cor, sabor, acidez, doçura e avaliação global), a maioria dos participantes gostou ligeiramente de todos os doces. Conclusões: A produção de doces em S. Tomé e Príncipe apresenta-se como uma atividade promissora. A qualidade dos atributos analisados deve ser monitorizada, para satisfazer os consumidores.Palavras-chave: Doces; banana; cajá-manga; goiaba; mamão. ABSTRACTIntroduction: São Tomé and Príncipe has a wide variety of fruit trees, being most of the fruits consumed in fresh. In certain periods of the year, fruits are available at significant amounts; however, it is not common to use the surplus of those fruits. Thus, this excess may be used in the preparation of other fruit based products (ex. jams), in order to increase product diversity and allow the annual consumption of these seasonal fruits. Objetives: To evaluate the characteristics of the fruits of S. Tomé and Príncipe. Methods: Preparation of jams of banana, ambarella, guava (dark and light) and papaya, with two levels of sugar, and perform their physico-chemical characterization (color, pH, moisture and acidity). Furthermore, sensory analysis was also done, through preference and acceptability tests. Results: The jams prepared had different colours, acidity values, and moisture and ash contents, demonstrating the possibility of producing different products by changing the formulation. Regarding jams preference, 60% of the consumers preferred the less sweet in the case of banana and guava (light), whereas, over 67% of the panellists preferred the sweetest ambarella jam. Concerning dark guava and papaya, the percentag...