PRODUCTION AND EVALUATION OF DIETARY FIBER FROM CITRUS WASTE FOR FORTIFICATION OF “JUNK” FOODS

Abstract

Citrus fruits are one of the commercially grown fruits and are high in phytochemicals and biologically active substances that have health benefits. However, the processing of citrus fruits generates approximately 50% waste (in the form of peel, pulp, seeds, pith, and so on), which is generally discarded into the environment, causing pollution. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, and stroke are all common in today's world as a result of habitual consumption of "junk" foods. Citrus waste dietary fiber added to "junk" foods may aid in disease prevention. The fortified “Junk” foods with percentage citrus waste fiber inclusion are; cake and doughnut (15% as wheat flour and fat replacer); ice-cream (2% as adjunct); and sausage (10% as wheat flour and fat replacer). The products were evaluated for proximate composition, Lab colour, microbial load, and sensory acceptability having the unfortified products as the control in each of the product. The citrus waste dietary fiber powder produced exhibited good antioxidant and functional properties. The fortified ‘junk’ foods had moisture contents (20.66, 19.62, 60.83, and 54.00%) for cake, doughnut, ice-cream, and sausage, respectively that were lower than those of the respective control samples (23.47, 20.93, 63.99, and 57.50). On the other hand, it was discovered that the crude fiber contents (0.66, 1.04, 1.14 and 0.68%) were higher than those of the corresponding control samples (0.08, 0.29, 0.32 and 0.61%). This could be as a result of increased total solid content due to the addition of citrus waste dietary fiber powder which may improve the shelf life of the fortified products and the increased fiber contents showed the improvement of the nutritional value and consequent health benefits of the fortified products. The products were well acceptable by the panelists’ ratings and the lab colour evaluation showed no significant (p<0.05) difference with the control samples while total viable bacteria and total viable fungi load (ranges of 7.0×101 to 1.2×104 CFU/ml and 2.0×101 to 2.0×103 CFU/ml, respectively) were within the standard acceptable level for a safe food product. In conclusion, the application of citrus waste dietary fiber in fortifying “junk” foods proved effective in improving the nutritional value, particularly dietary fiber content, indicating the potential for additional health benefits.