Abstract:
Tomato fruit is a nutritious part of the human diet providing a variety
of health benefits. Searching for other means of utilization than direct
consumption of tomatoes seems a timely need to reduce post-harvest losses
caused by the rapid perishability of ripened tomatoes. In the present study, three
tomato cordial formulations with xanthan gum as a stabilizer were tested for
sensory properties, and the best formula was tested for its physico-chemical
properties and stability over one month period. Well-ripened and healthy fruits
were chosen to prepare the cordial. According to the Sri Lankan Standards (SLS
730), three different cordial samples were prepared only changing the
concentration of xanthan gum stabilizer as 0.3%, 0.4% and 0.5% (w/v). Using
30 semi-trained panellists, prepared samples were subjected to sensory testing
on a 5-point Hedonic scale, and 0.5% of xanthan gum containing cordial was
selected as the best formula. The shelf-life evaluation of the best sample was
conducted weekly for one month through physicochemical and microbiological
analysis. Significant changes (p<0.05) were observed only in vitamin C content
and total soluble solids (TSS) during the shelf-life evaluation. At end of the
storage period, the cordial with 0.5% xanthan gum possessed pH 3.26, titratable
acidity 1.35%, vitamin C 31.9 mg/100ml, TSS 44.9 °Brix, total sugar 19.8% and
polyphenol content 0.0021 mg/ml GAE. Changes in the total plate counts during
the one month of storage are within the acceptable limit (less than 50 per ml)
according to the Sri Lankan Standards (SLS 516). It can be concluded that
tomato cordial can be formulated by using 5% of xanthan gum stabilizer and
that was found to be stable for one month without any deterioration.
