Valuate the traditional chestnuts production

Portugal is one of the leading European and global producers of chestnuts, with approximately 45,000 tonnes per year (according to RefCast estimates). Typically, most Portuguese chestnuts are sold to mediumand large-scale trading companies, where they undergo a cleaning, disinfection, and calibration process, preparing them for fresh consumption. In Portugal, chestnuts are mostly harvested manually in all producing regions. Over time, it has been observed that with the aging of the rural population and the growing exodus of younger people to other regions and other occupations, labour is becoming scarce year after year, and mechanized harvesting will increasingly be the solution to this problem. Climate change is creating new challenges for preserving the quality and conservation of chestnuts, from the moment they are harvested until they reach the consumer. This project aimed to improve the mechanical harvesting process of chestnuts, enhance the preservation of nut quality from harvesting to consumption, and promote alternative presentation forms of nuts for consumption. Key words: Food quality/processing and nutrition; forestry; Supply chain, market and consumption, Waste, by-products and residues management. 3) Promote other ways of presenting chestnuts for consumption, such as smoked chestnuts and soft chestnuts, or in the form of flour, which allows for the chestnut's appearance in a larger market scale due to its incorporation into derived products, including bread, biscuits, and beer. With the actions foreseen in ValorCast Operational Group they intended to achieve three main objectives: 1) improve the mechanical chestnut harvesting process; 2) improve the preservation of chestnut quality between harvest and consumer, by (a) developing a new disinfestation method as an alternative to the current one (thermal shock) that it is inadequate to current business requirements; and (b) developing a protocol for an efficient fungal control during the chestnut storage at room temperature or in the cold room, allowing to prolong its commercialization and consumption period effectively and efficiently; and (c) find a way to minimize water loss from the chestnut; Valuate the traditional chestnuts production Introduction Fig. 1. Location where work with automotive equipment took place and batch of harvested chestnuts (right) Fig. 2. Facma Cimina 380 self-propelled harvesting equipment and temporary storage trailer for automotive equipment (right) Results About harvesting, it has been observed that when the soil of the grove is very humid and covered with a thick, dead blanket, there is an increment of elemental time inoperative (from 8.7% to 12,04% of the total time), which may impair the ability to work. However, in the tests carried out, increment did not result in loss of field efficiency, which remained the same – 82%, a fact that is due to the percentage reduction in the elementary turning time between the rows and the percentage increase in the elementary harvest time. Regarding the warehouse cleaning and degreasing equipment, it was observed that: the working capacity of this equipment ranged from 1000 to 1500 kg/hourthe lowest values when the nut came from older groves and with more debris; the highest values were obtained in more recent groves and with less amount of debris. Additionally, aggregates were harvested with the fruits, which damaged them, necessitating a second cleaning of the harvested production and a manual selection before delivery to the industry. The post-harvest vermin control and essay of the prototype were hindered by technical difficulties associated with adjusting the prototype, resulting in no scientific conclusions being drawn. Regarding chestnut rot, it was observed that hydrophobic coatings based on paraffin and beeswax were highly effective in preventing water loss when nuts were stored under forced conditions (at room temperature). In sensory terms, chestnuts coated with paraffin or beeswax were like chestnuts before from storage. The use of volatile additives with antimicrobial capacity can be a solution to reduce the loss of chestnuts by microbial growth (rot). For the packaging, MAP, VAC and PM bags may be a promising solution to preventing weight loss and microbial growth during the storage. MAP and VAC packages are the most suitable for shelf life of less than 3 months, while PM bags are the most promising for a long-term storage (6 months). These packages caused losses of fruit weight lower than 2% and did not lead to an increase in the microbial load differently chestnuts not packaged or packed in bags macroperforated (PH) showed to be less effective, causing weight loss greater than 9% and mold development during storage. The Chestnut flour presents itself as an ingredient promising for the development of fresh and dried pasta formulations. It imparts softness and lightness to recipes usually made only with wheat flour, but it also darkens the final product and alters other characteristics. The percentage most suitable for incorporating chestnut flour was 50%. Concerning new products, the chestnut sample with Tawny Port Wine and almonds was the best accepted on both sensory test sheets, both on the hedonic scale for the global appreciation parameters, colour, aroma, texture and flavour as in the tests of purchase intention and preference ordering. residues resulting from past farming practices. Mechanical harvesting is not compatible with mobilized groves. About packaging, due to the high cost associated with packaging, plastic bags weighing 0.5 kg each and the hand of respective work, it is not competitive from an economic point of view to pack the chestnut in bag track weight loss. As an alternative, it is advised that an experience with a strong reduction in the costs of packaging, larger plastic bags and respective filling eventually be automated. For chestnut processing, some interesting results were obtained (powder, fruit mix, patisserie, etc.), but further experiments are needed, along with a cost evaluation. This article has been produced in the FOREST4EU project as a part of capacity building materials directed to stakeholders across Europe. Whereas innovations developed in the operational groups are typically available locally, FOREST4EU project aims at transferring knowledge and best practices on forestry and agroforestry to stakeholders and operational groups across Europe. The cost reduction provided by mechanized harvesting is considerable, when compared to manual harvesting. With studied mechanical harvesting systems it is possible to get considerable advantages like the shortage of manpower for this operation, the significant cost reduction and the improvement of the health status of chestnut. Soil management is a relevant aspect of this operation. For an efficient harvest, the soil must have good vegetation cover and be free of aggregates and FOREST4EU Project FOREST4EU Project [email protected] forest4eu.eu Contacts Funded by the European Union (Grant n. 101086216). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. partners: Further information Francesca Giannetti (Università degli Studi di Firenze), [email protected] Ana M. Ventura (Solutopus), [email protected] [email protected] https://eu-cap-network.ec.europa.eu/projects/valorcast-valorization-chestnut-and-optimization-its-commercialization_en ValorCast – Chestnut valorization and optimization of its production Support: print and digital ISBN: 978-989-53782-2-7 (Suporte: Papel) ISSN: 978-989-53782-6-5 (Suporte: Eletrónico) Operational group: ValorCast – Valorização da castanha e otimização da sua produção Conclusion About the FOREST4EU project