Preparation and nutritional evaluation of protein and β-carotene rich guava fruit bar

Abstract

Fruit bars are the products which are manufactured with cereal grains and the other ingredients such as whole-grain cereals, flaked grains, fruit and legumes. Guava fruit bar is widely accepted product of guava but it is deficient in protein and also contain negligible amount of β-carotene content. In order to enrich the fruit bar with protein and β-carotene, seven guava fruit bars were prepared using guava pulp (88%, 86%, 85%, 84%), Defatted soy flour (4%,5%,6%) and skim milk powder (2%,4%,6%) in different concentrations, fruit bar with 100% guava pulp kept as conrol. Fruit bars were evaluated for physicochemical, microbial and sensory properties. Results showed that fruit bars containing 84% guava pulp, 6% defatted soy flour (DFS) and 10% carrot puree had maximum protein (3.66 g) and β-carotene (1173µg) content compared to other fruit bars. The microbial analysis of all the bars showed results within acceptable limits due to low water activity and high sugar content which posed no threats for microbiological growth.