The use of amodified atmosphere for the storage of chestnut fruits

The commerce of fresh chestnuts deserves special attention due to the postharvest storage pro- cesses that are intended to guarantee quality and shelf life maintenance. The aim of this work was to store fresh chestnuts for a maximum period of 90 days at 1 (±1°C) and 90-95% relative humidity (RH) using a modified-atmosphere (MA; 80% CO2) technology. the hybrid variety bouche de betizac (C.sativa Mill. x C.mollissima blume) and the European chestnut Garrone Nero (C.sativa Mill.) were stored in pallet bags in a CO2-enriched (80%) atmosphere. To maintain the MA, two different types of materials a traditional polyethylene film (120 μm) and a biodegradable film derived from starch (180 μm) were used. Each treatment was compared with chestnuts treated with a cold-water bath (sample test) and stored under normal atmosphere (NA) conditions. Postharvest storage was evaluated based on chestnut respiration, the gas composition (%) of the storage environment, the water content (%), the marketable fruits (%) and the starch content (%). A high CO2 level in the storage environment decreased the metabolic activity of the chestnut fruits, which, in general, exhibited a physiology unlike that of dried fruits, both varieties exhibited a low water content (%) under MA storage conditions. The starch content appears to not be influenced by the treatments used in postharvest. thus, the use of a modified atmosphere is an interesting alternative to a cold-water bath for storing fresh chestnut fruits.