Abstract:
Fruits and vegetables are rich in more nutrients and phytochemicals that can be given enormous
healthy and nutritional benefits. The world health organization recommends to consume ≥ 5
portions of fruits and vegetables per day. But, only 17.5% of Sri Lankan adults consume
suggested value. Therefore, the production of a healthy and convenient product may increase
the consumption of fruits and vegetables. The aim of this study was to develop an instant green
smoothie powder as a more convenient product using locally available fruits and green leafy
vegetables and to evaluate the quality parameters of the powder. Four fruits and three green
leafy vegetables were selected to develop fresh green smoothie. The best formulation of the
green smoothie was selected by conducting a sensory evaluation using 30 semi-trained
panelists. The selected formulation was freeze-dried to obtain instant green smoothie powder.
The resulted powder was analyzed for proximate composition; protein (2.67 ± 0.02%), fat (1.96
± 0.01%), moisture (4.82 ± 0.01%), ash (1.22 ± 0.02%), and fiber (28.57 ± 0.01%) using AOAC
2000 method. Reconstituted green smoothie showed physicochemical properties such as pH of
4.21 ± 0.04, titratable acidity of 0.213 ± 0.04 g/100ml, total soluble solid of 12.330 ± 0.01%), and
water activity of 0.17 ± 0.01. The powder properties revealed that the powder has very good
(based on Carr Index) flow ability (6.665 ± 2.35) and it has low (based on Hausner ratio)
cohesiveness (1.0713 ± 0.03). The solubility (94.71 ± 2.43) of the powder complied with the SLS
Standards (668: 1984). The instant green smoothie contained 129.5 ppm of vitamin C content
and 107.25 ± 3.32 Ascorbic Acid Equivalent mg/g of total antioxidant capacity. The powder was
microbiologically stable (only 1log CFU/mL of total plate counts). The water activity of the
powder was significantly (p<0.05) increased, but the pH and total plate count were not
significantly (p>0.05) increased during the five weeks of storage at room temperature in vacuum
package. This instant powder can be introduced as the more convenient and healthy choice for
the consumers, which has higher crude fiber content, better microbiological stability and very
good powder properties.
