Effects of package type on the quality of fruits and nuts panned in chocolate during long-time storage

Abstract Chocolate confectionery is a type of food the demand for which is observed to increase successively, therefore special attention ought to be paid to its quality; while the quality is primarily influenced by the type of a packaging method and storage time. In this study, we describe results of determinations of the impact of long storage time and package type on chemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, and sensory quality of chocolate panned cherries, figs, hazelnuts, and almonds. Chocolate products packed using vacuum (V), modified atmosphere (MA) or traditional packages (T) were stored under standard conditions for 18 months. Most of the products tested in this work throughout a long storage time and in different packages have not been analysed in this respect until now. The findings from this work demonstrate that both the storage time and the package type influence the quality of the finished products. The principal component analysis revealed the highest content of polyphenolic compounds that was correlated with the antioxidative activity and the highest scores given in the sensory analysis for the chocolate panned cherries and figs stored up to 9-months and for the chocolate panned hazelnuts and almonds stored for up to 15-months. Study results allow concluding that the T and V type packages can be recommended for the storage of chocolate panned cherries and figs, the MA and V type packages – for chocolate panned hazelnuts, whereas the MA packages – for chocolate panned almonds to preserve their high quality throughout a long storage period. In addition, results obtained are very important not only for the science but also for both the producers and the consumers.