Increase of Calcium in ‘Rocha’ Pear (Pyrus communis L.) for Development of Functional Foods

The food industry will face determinant challenges in the future, namely, feeding a growing population, set to reach up to 9 billion people by 2050, while maintaining food quality, in circumstances of resource limitations and sustainable use. In this outlook, minimizing mineral deficits in the human diet can prevent health diseases. Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals in human organisms, performing both structural and signaling functions, its deficits being associated with the development of osteoporosis and other pathologies. To minimize this issue, foliar spraying of edible plants can increase the amount of minerals, triggering additional value in unprocessed food products. Following this assumption at an orchard of Rocha pears located in the West region of Portugal, seven foliar sprays were carried out with calcium chloride (4% corresponds to the exclusive use of CaCl2 4 kg ha−1; 8% corresponds to the use of CaCl2 4 kg ha−1 (for the first three sprays) and CaCl2 8 kg ha−1 (for the four remaining sprays)). At harvest, calcium levels increased about 12.2–38.3%, whereas significant differences in physicochemical parameters occurred only in malic acid and total soluble solids. In conclusion, calcium levels increased in fruits after foliar spraying, but quality parameters only revealed minor changes, enabling the production of biofortified Rocha pears.