Investigation into quality of ice cream with Anona (Annona muricata) pulp.

Abstract

Fruity flavoured ice creams have a high consumer demand due to its nutritional value, in addition to special flavour and taste. Anona (Annona muricata) is a tropical high yielding fruit variety grown in Sri Lanka with high nutritional and medicinal value but still under utilized. Therefore, development of a value added ice cream using anona pulp would have many beneficial effects to the consumers, producers as well as for the conservation of natural vegetation. Therefore, objective of this study was to develop a value added ripple ice cream using anona and to evaluate the nutritional, microbiological and sensory properties. Four treatment combinations (50 brix - with fiber, 40 brix - with fiber, 50 brix - without fiber, 40 brix - without fiber) were prepared and evaluated to find out the best recipe for anona ripple ice cream by changing the brix value and the fiber percentage of the anona sauce. Fifteen well-trained panelists evaluated the sensory properties of 4 treatments. The statistical analysis of sensory evaluation was carried out by using KRUSKAL-W ALLIS one-way ANOV A and paired T test. Treatment without fiber, 40 brix was selected as the best treatment for sensory attributes such as appearance, taste, body and texture, aroma and overall acceptability. Physical and chemical properties of anona sauce and anona ripple ice creams were within the limit of SLS specifications (Sri Lanka Standards 223:1989). There were no significant differences in microbiological count of the selected best treatment (Brix 40 - without fiber) during two months of storage time. Another sensory evaluation was carried out to determine tt\e sensory qualities after 2 months of storage time for the selected treatment (Brix 40 - without fibre). The results showed that there were no significant changes in sensory characters during two months of storage time. Therefore, anona ripple ice cream could be considered as a good quality product but further investigations are necessary to improve the product to satisfy the economic standards.