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Author
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Chabata, Auxilia
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Title
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Development of Ziziphus Mauritiana L. fruits (masawu) nonalcoholic beverages and assessment of their acceptability
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Abstract
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The global fruit juice value market is increasing driven by the fact that soft drinks, such as
colas and flavoured sodas, are becoming less popular due to their high sugar content, artificial
colouring, phosphoric acid, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine, all of which have harmful
effects on the human body. This study's main objective was to develop improved Z. mauritiana fruits synthetic preservatives-free non-alcoholic beverages and to determine the consumers'' preferred
product among the masawu non-alcoholic beverages. The study involved the formulation of
four different non-alcoholic beverages using masawu as the main ingredient, including a
tamarind and sugar. The four beverages were prepared using a simple method, before
beginning any treatment, the fruits were rinsed with distilled water. After cleaning, the fruits
were oven dried for 72 hours at a temperature of 72 degrees Celsius to remove any moisture
in the fruits and kept in a dry container to minimise moisture absorption. A July motion
dehuller was used to separate the seed from the pulp and the pulp was used for making the
non-alcoholic beverage. After dehulling the pulp was sieved through ISI Mesh No. 1 (1 mm).
One litre of water with different mixtures of ingredients was boiled for 15 to 20 minutes.
Sugar was then added as a sweetener. After the mixture had settled, it was strained and served
The four prototypes were created by combining varying ratios of masawu and tamarind. To
enhance the sensory quality of the blends, white sugar was added to the other two blends as a
sweetener. White sugar was used because it does not change the colour of the beverages.
Four different non-alcoholic beverages were formulated namely Masawu+Sugar,
Masawu+Tamarind+Sugar, Masawu Only and Masawu+Tamarind. The sensory evaluation of
these beverages was conducted using a 9-point hedonic scale to determine the overall
acceptability, taste, flavour, appearance, and texture of each beverage and 51 people who
voluntarily wanted to participate were part of this sensory evaluation test. The results showed
that Masawu+Sugar and Masawu+Tamarind+Sugar were well-accepted, and they were
deemed overall acceptable by 86.3% and 96.1% of the participants respectively. Masawu
Only and Masawu+Tamarind had lower acceptance rates among participants at 41.2% and
29.4%, respectively. The study concluded that masawu is a good raw material for the
production of non-alcoholic beverages. The study recommends optimisation of
Masawu+Sugar and Masawu+Tamarind+Sugar non-alcoholic beverages before commercialisation. Further studies on shelf life and proximate analysis of the formulated blends are recommended to guide storage ability, nutritional profile, and packaging guidelines.
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Date
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2023
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Publisher
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BUSE
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Keywords
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Ziziphus Mauritiana L. fruits
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Fruit juice
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Non-alcoholic beverages
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Supervisor
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Professor Nyakudya, I. W
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Dr Mureva, A
Chabata - NRM.pdf