Production and storage stability of a blended fruit leather from date, pomegranate, and fig to reduce post-harvest waste | ||||
| Archives of Agriculture Sciences Journal | ||||
| Volume 8, Issue 1, April 2025, Page 130-149 PDF (637.01 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Research article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/aasj.2025.446618 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
A. M. M. Abdullah; E. A. El-Naggar  ; E. M. Hassan
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| Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Assuit, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study aimed to evaluate the impact of 120-day ambient storage on the chemical, physical, functional, sensory, and microbiological properties of fruit leathers prepared from dates, pomegranates, and figs-individually and as a 3:2:1 blended formulation—with varying levels of added pectin. The analyses included moisture content, total soluble solids (TSS), total and reducing sugars, total acidity, pH, ascorbic acid, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, sensory evaluation, and microbiological safety. The results revealed significant changes (P<0.05) across most parameters due to storage. Increases were observed in moisture, TSS, total and reducing sugars, while decreases occurred in bioactive compounds such as phenolics, ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activity. Blended samples fortified with pectin (particularly those with 1.5 g and 2.5 g pectin additions) showed notable stability in structural, functional, and sensory attributes compared to single-fruit or non-fortified samples. Sensory evaluations remained high initially (>7.0 on a 9-point scale) and acceptable after 120 days (>5.0), while microbiological analysis confirmed the absence of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, indicating product safety throughout the storage period. The study recommends the development of pectin-fortified blended fruit leathers as a promising functional food product, offering chemical, sensory, and microbiological stability, with extended shelf life and minimal loss in nutritional value and quality. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| fruit leather; food preservation; pectin fortification; storage stability; antioxidant activity; waste reduction | ||||
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