QUALITY AND SAFETY EVALUATION OF A NOVEL AVOCADO-BASED (Persea americana) BEVERAGE DURING REFRIGERATED STORAGE

Due to the rising interest in functional and plant-based beverages, the market demand for innovative juice products with enhanced nutritional and sensory attributes has increased. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the quality and safety of a fresh avocado-based (Persea americana) beverage prepared with avocado pulp, bee honey, and water. Pre-experimental trials were conducted to optimize ingredient ratios based on sensory texture and consumer appeal. Using the ingredient levels selected by this trial-and-error method, the Taguchi L9 orthogonal array was employed for systematic formulation development. Sensory evaluation, using a ranking test followed by a 9-point hedonic scale and Just-About-Right (JAR) scale, enabled the selection of optimal formulations and identified areas for improvement in attributes such as color, fruity aroma, sweetness, and overall acceptability. Storage stability was investigated under refrigerated conditions (4 ± 1⁰C) for 14 days. Samples treated with sodium metabisulphite and potassium sorbate (30:300 ppm) demonstrated superior stability in terms of pH (5.86), total soluble solids [TSSs] (11.7⁰ Brix), and color [L value] (54.597 ± 0.015), while also effectively suppressing browning and microbial growth (microbial count: 3.9 * 10⁴ CFU ml^-1 ). Comparatively, a combination of low preservative levels (10:150 ppm) and mild thermal treatment of avocado pulp at 70⁰C improved the storage stability marginally over low preservative uses alone. Oxidative stability was confirmed by low thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and peroxide values [PV] (TBA value: 0.0297 ± 0.0004 mg MDA kg-1; PV value: 2.492 ± 0.003 O₂ kg^-1) throughout storage. These results highlight the feasibility of producing a safe, sensorially acceptable avocado beverage with potential for short-term storage, offering a valuable solution for post-harvest losses of avocado while developing a value-added beverage.