Abstract :
India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. The total production of fruits and vegetables is 81.285 and 162.186 million tonnes, respectively during 2012 – 2013. India’s 70 per cent of population are engaged only in production activities of Agriculture, we need more and more entities and systems to add value. Along with this minor fruits up gradation is also very much require through value addition for nutrition up-liftment among people as well as economic benefit to family. In doing so, we need to look at food wastages and their prevention, improvement in value addition of horticultural produces through adoptable processes, harnessing untapped food resources, utilizing by-products and assuring food quality and safety. All these have to be interlinked with extension of shelf life, which is also value addition. Though India is producing various kinds of major and minor fruits but hardly 2.2 per cent of the production is commercially processed whereas more than 50 per cent of the produce is processed in developed countries (Rasul, 2001). However, the level of processing in the major fruit producing countries are Brazil- 70 per cent, USA –60-70 per cent, Malaysia –83 per cent and Israel –50 per cent. International trade in processed fruit products is around US $ 9200 million. The present study was conducted with the aim to increase the use of minor agro produce in processing and to reduce the waste, in which minor fruit Jams, Jally, Murabba, Candy products were formulated incorporating fruit pulp. Prepared five different products subjected to two groups and their organoleptic attributes were assessed. Nine (9) point Hedonic rating scale was used for organoleptic analysis of minor fruit products. Each group had 30 panel members. Results revealed that various organoleptic attributes, i.e. app., colour, taste, flavour, consistency and overall acceptability of all six jams obtained >7 hedonic scores by both groups indicating that the jams were liked moderately to very much by them. The taste, flavour and acceptability of these jams and murabba were very good. These jams were acceptable among both the study groups. Thus, it can be concluded that these products can be used as spreads and one can consume them with bread, chapati or parantha and refresh himself/ herself with the tasty and tangy flavours of fresh fruits.
Keyword :
Minor fruits, Hedonic test, Organoleptic, Attributes, Jam, Squash, Candy, Jelly