Gaseous Ozone as a Suitable Solution for Postharvest Chestnut Storage: Evaluation of Quality Parameter Trends

The storage of chestnuts is a highly critical phase due to the considerable postharvest losses of the product with relevant commercial impact. The effect on the chemical quality parameters of chestnuts treated with 300 ppb of gaseous ozone in air or in atmospheric air at T = 2 degrees C for 150 days during the storage has been investigated. The ozone treatment increased sucrose and total sugar contents; while tocopherols were reduced. No significant differences in weight loss and fatty acid content were recorded between chestnut treated with ozone and untreated fruits (P >= 0.05). In addition, chestnut ozone exposure for 150 days reduced the total microbial populations associated with the pericarps of about 1.6 logs for mesophilic bacteria and 1.0 logs for fungi. Overall, our results suggested that gaseous ozone treatment is a valid and economic technology to ensure the shelf life quality of chestnut during the long storage periods.