engleski

Sensory profile of plum nectars

Nectars are beverages formulated with the juice or pulp of one or more fruits, with addition of water and sugar in various proportions depending on local taste, government standards, pH, and fruit composition of the variety used. Recently, the market for such products has greatly expanded. Consumers are looking even more for food with pleasant characteristics in terms of flavor, appearance and aroma. In this study, plum nectar samples, prepared by various recipes, were sensory evaluated to describe and compare its sensory characteristics. Plum (Prunus domestica L.) fruit was used to produce cloudy juice with small scale laboratory equipment. Before pressing on hydraulic press, fruits were depitted and chopped and treated with maceration enzymes at 48 ºC during 2 hours. After pressing, cloudy juice was pasteurized and used to produce plum nectars formulated to 12 % Brix with various contents of fruit (30 % or 60 %), with sucrose or fructose and addition of citric or malic acid. All prepared nectars were sensory evaluated by quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA). A research using different nectars showed significantly better overall acceptance for a products formulated with 60 % as compared to those produced with 30 % of fruit content (p<0.05). The sensory acceptance of nectars was not significantly affected by adding of different sugars or acids (p<0.05). Without influence of fruit content, sugar or acid addition, sensory attributes of after taste, tartness and off flavour were not expressed. Nectar with 60 % of fruit content, added sucrose and citric acid was evaluated as the most drinkable with high scores for all desirable attributes. The least accepted nectar was one with fruit content of 30 %, added fructose and mallic acid. Thus, some products presented good sensory acceptance suggesting commercial potential.

plum nectar; sensory evaluation; QDA

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