Chemical, Volatile Profile and Shelf Life of Muffin Enriched with Supplementation Chestnut Cream

The supplementation of chestnut cream in a new muffin formulation was investigated to evaluate the use of chestnut derivatives in baked goods. To assess the muffins qualities, with and without potassium sorbate, were evaluated the physical-chemical properties, fatty acids and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profiles and shelf life (30 days). The fatty acid composition showed that the highest concentrations were evidenced for linoleic acid (47.3%), oleic acid (30.4%) and palmitic acid (14.2%). The total microbial count (TMC), yeasts and molds loads increased during the storage but remained under limit imposed by law. The VOCs detected are produced during baking process as a result of thermally induced reactions while phenolic compounds could derive from the chestnut cream. The electronic nose results showed that the "fingerprints" of VOCs are not overlapping, confirming the HS-SPME-GC/MS data. According to the results, the formulation of new muffin could expand the array of commodities and further enlarge, the market for chestnut derivatives. Practical Application: The introduction of the new sweet chestnut cream muffin formulation could represent a chance to increase the use of chestnut derivatives and could be alternative ingredients in baked goods. In fact, the supplementation of chestnut cream may give interesting properties as better physico-chemical properties, fatty acids, volatile organic compounds and a good shelf life. Moreover, they preserve the nutritional characteristics of the starting fruit.