DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY EVALUATION OF DEHYDRATED KIWI CANDY

Kiwi fruit is a member of the "Actinidiaceae" family, which has over 76 species and cultivars with a wide range of sensory attributes. The kiwi fruit is one of the most popularized fruits in the world, and it is high in nutrients such as vitamins, phytochemicals, and minerals. Candies have a low nutritional value, because of their principal constituents, which include gelling agents and sugar. In comparison to conventional candy, the goal of this project is to make a natural and healthful dehydrated candy utilizing fresh kiwi fruit. The fruits were grabbed from the local market of Faisalabad. Two types of dehydrated kiwi candies were prepared (T_1: peeled and T₂ unpeeled). In the last step, the candies were kept in a dehydrator at 50 degrees Celsius for 24 hours. Candy's physiochemical, color measurements and sensory characteristics were assessed. In all physio-chemical and sensory evaluations, the unpeeled candy produced the best results. The unpeeled candy’s TSS value, titratable acidity, pH, and vitamin C content values were 77.9°, 0.36%, 4.5, and 37mg respectively. Unpeeled candy has a slightly dark color as compared to peeled candy and color values L*, a* and, b* were 43.89, 0.43 and, 11.34 respectively. Candy’s sensory study employing a 9-point hedonic scale reveals the highest consumer acceptability in terms of flavor, scent, mouth feel, and texture.