Physicochemical quality, macronutrients, and dietary fiber in apples from the Protected Geographical Indication ‘Maçã de Alcobaça’, Portugal

Apple is the largest fruit category in the European market. This fruit is part of the regular purchasing habits of European consumers who have a gross annual per capita apple consumption of ca. 19 kg (Martinez-Palou and Rohner-Tielen, 2008). Dozens of cultivar groups with distinct sensory attributes are available. Market categories are currently defined according to skin color (yellow, green, red, bicolor, and russet), perception of sweetness or acidity (sweet and sour), and texture. In Europe, consumers expect small stores to display 3 to 5 apple types whereas a large supermarket provides up to 8 or 12 apple categories. The visual and taste diversity of apple fruit corresponds to differences in chemical composition with nutritional relevance. However, the level of important bioactive compounds, such as total phenolics Summary