Abstract:
Production and consumption of functional beverages has gained much attention as they offer a health
benefits apart from the basic nutritional functions. A study was conducted to assess the physico-chemical
and organoleptic characteristics of ginger varieties [Local: Sidda and Chinese) to select the most suitable
variety for ready-to-serve (RTS) functional beverage preparation and to develop RTS functional beverage
using ginger and lime juices in different concentrations, sweetened by 15% of palmyra sugar candy. The
study revealed that local ginger variety is more preferred than the Chinese variety to formulate RTS
beverages. Freshly made RTS beverage formulations showed increasing trend in titratable acidity from
0.22 to 0.52% (as % of citric acid), Total Soluble Solids from 12.6 to 16.8°Brix, ascorbic acid from 12.4 to
56.9 mg/100 ml, total sugar from 16.6 to 20.39% and decreasing trend in pH from 6.63 to 3.10 with
increase in lime juice extract from 2 to 10%. There was no microbial colony formation observed in freshly
prepared and stored treatments. The colour, aroma, pungency, taste and overall acceptability were
significantly differ (p<0.05) among treatments with increasing the lime juice extract from 2 to 10%. RTS
beverage with 12% of ginger juice blend with 8% lime juice, sweetened by Palmyra sugar candy was
concluded to be superior in quality. The product can be stored at 30±1°C temperature and 70-75% of RH
for a period of 12 weeks without any significant changes in quality.
