Chestnut as Source of Novel Ingredients for Celiac People

Chestnut is a nut cultivated in a variety of growing conditions and climates, being globally popular and valued for its sensory, nutritional and healthy properties. European sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) is mainly grown in the temperate regions of continental Europe and has represented one of the most important and sustainable food resources of rural areas for many centuries. Chestnut fruit is highly appreciated and extensively consumed throughout Europe, America and Asia, because is considered a high nutritional value food, extremely versatile and safe. Recently, there is an increasing demand of both the fresh and transformed fruit e.g. chestnut flour for its gluten-free characteristic and low fat content compared with other nuts for the development of glutenfree for celiac disease patients, non-celiac gluten sensitivity people and consumers who avoid gluten for lifestyle reasons and of health-related food products. The market for edible chestnuts has considerable potential for increase in production and demand given growing consumer interest in alternative and healthy foods (Gold et al., 2004). Almost 20% of the total production is used to make chestnut flour, dried chestnuts and the marrons glacé sweet.