“Development and quality assessment of mixed fruit jam prepared from coconut, pineapple, and orange

Abstract

This study aims to develop a mixed fruit jam using coconut, pineapple, and orange, and evaluate its quality characteristics, including proximate composition, physicochemical properties, microbial load, and sensory attributes. Three formulations were prepared: S1 (25% coconut, 50% pineapple, 25% orange), S2 (25% coconut, 25% pineapple, 50% orange), and S3 (50% coconut, 25% pineapple, 25% orange). Proximate composition analysis, including moisture, ash, protein, fat, crude fiber, and carbohydrate, was conducted for each sample. The moisture content ranged from 17.05% to 18.88%, ash from 0.14% to 0.50%, protein from 0.21% to 0.45%, fat from 0.26% to 0.72%, crude fiber from 1.95% to 3.12%, and carbohydrate from 76.33% to 80.24%, respectively. Functional properties such as acidity, pH, and °Brix were measured, with acidity ranging from 1.54% to 2.05%, pH from 2.85 to 3.00, and °Brix from 67.57 to 68.67, respectively. Microbial load analysis showed an increase in colony-forming units per gram from day 0 to day 60 across all samples, were well within the BSTI acceptable limit of 104 CFU/g. Sensory evaluations revealed the highest scores for color was 8.04, taste 7.93, flavor 7.74, and overall acceptability 7.89 in sample S3, respectively. Visual observations over 60 days demonstrated a gradual decline in color, flavor, and texture, with noticeable changes by day 60. Sample S3, with its higher fiber, protein, and favorable sensory ratings, was the most acceptable formulation