Traditional pear cultivars are increasingly in demand by consumers because of their excellent taste, the possibility of use in sustainable food production systems, convenience as raw materials for obtaining products of high nutritional quality, and perceived health benefits. In this study, individual sugars, organic acids, and polyphenols in the fruits of nine traditional and one commercial pear cultivar during two growing seasons were determined by HPLC. A significant influence of cultivars, growing years, and their interaction on the content of analyzed primary and secondary metabolites was determined. The commercial pear cultivar ‘Président Drouard’ and traditional cultivars ‘Dolokrahan’, ‘Budaljača’, and ‘Krakača’ had a lower content of all analyzed sugars. Overall, traditional pear cultivars had higher total polyphenols in the peel and pulp than ‘Président Drouard’, with the exception ‘Takiša’ and ‘Ahmetova’. High polyphenol content detected in ‘Budaljača’, ‘Dolokrahan’, and ‘Krakača’ shows the utilization value of traditional pear germplasm. The obtained data can serve as practical supporting data for the use of traditional pears in the neutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and food industries.

The present research was undertaken to investigate polyphenolic profiles of peel, pulp and juices made from two standard commercial and five traditional apple cultivars from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main goal of the study was to monitor the distribution and changes of polyphenolic profiles through different phases of apples’ processing into cloudy and clear juices, with regard to L-ascorbic acid pretreatment. Quantitative determination of phenolic compounds was carried out by using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection. The obtained results showed that traditional cultivars, namely ‘Paradija’ and ‘Prijedorska zelenika’, displayed significantly higher content of these compounds compared to commercial ones. Flavan 3-ols and flavonol glycosides were mostly found in peels of all cultivars (21.2–44.1 and 5.40–33.3%, respectively), while phenolic acids along with flavan 3-ols were predominant in the pulp (8.20–30.8 and 5.10–13.9%, respectively). Apples’ processing into juices caused decrease (more than 90%) in the content of all polyphenols and the distribution of these compounds from fruits to final products had a negative trend, particularly evident in clear juices. The most drastic loss occurred in the flavonol glycosides and dihydrochalcones content, while chlorogenic acid displayed quite stable distribution from apples to final products due to its good solubility. Apple mash pretreatment with L-ascorbic acid had a positive impact on the preservation and retention of polyphenols.

Apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) are a widely consumed fruit recognized for their rich nutritional profile and health benefits. The chemical composition of apples differs significantly between traditional and commercial varieties, influencing their suitability and application in food processing. Both traditional and commercial apples are rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. However, traditional apples often have higher concentrations of certain phytonutrients, such as polyphenols, due to less intensive breeding for esthetic qualities. In contrast, commercial varieties are typically bred for uniformity, shelf life, and resistance to pests, which can impact their nutrient profiles. Traditional varieties may offer superior flavor and higher antioxidant activity, while commercial varieties provide standard quality and higher yields. Understanding the distinct chemical compositions of traditional and commercial apples is essential for selecting and optimizing processing techniques to enhance the nutritional value, flavor, and overall quality of apple-derived products, such as juices, jams, ‘pekmez’, and compotes.

The texture of a particular food product has great significance for the sensory perception of its overall quality. When it comes to chocolate, texture as hardness plays an important role not only for visual evaluation (surface appearance), but also for the sensory perception of chocolate melting in the mouth. This feature is affected by many factors, whereas the composition of chocolate (particularly fat content), the size and distribution of solid particles, as well as the storage temperature are the prime ones. The aim of this experiment was to test the texture of chocolate, depending on its type (white, milk, and dark) stored at three different temperatures (16, 20, and 25 °C), which is the most typical consumption temperature range. The texture of the chocolate samples was examined instrumentally using a texture analyzer and through sensory analysis carried out by skilled panelists. The obtained results showed that the influence of the storage temperature and the type of chocolate has a statistically significant impact on chocolate’s hardness when determined by instrument, while in sensory evaluation, the type of chocolate is a predominant influencing factor. The hardness of chocolate was the lowest in white chocolate samples, and it decreased at higher storage temperatures, as expected. The sensory perception of chocolate melting was notably affected by the chocolate hardness. The general outcomes of the study have shown that there is a positive correlation between instrumental and sensory analysis methods.