DETERMINATION OF CASHEW JUICE SPECIE’S SHELF-LIFE AT NATURAL STORAGE USING MULTIVARIANT REGRESSION MODEL

There is an inevitable decline in quality value especially the ascorbic acid in preserving cashew apple juice. The maximum shelf life of red sample of cashew apple juice was estimated and the quality value multivariate regression model was developed. Data were drawn from 34 full factorial experiments conducted in three replicates with the order of the replicates randomized. The model developed for the sample of cashew fruit juice revealed that pH and duration of storage with other interactions were the major parameters that govern the shelf-life and characterization qualities of cashew fruit juice. The coefficient of correlation (R2) of the dependent variable (ascorbic acid) and independent variables (temperature, total soluble solid, pH and duration of storage) in the model was 0.954. The regression model revealed that temperature of 34.4 OC, 11.13 OBrix value, pH of 3.99, 16 days storage duration of the sample maintained ascorbic acid levels of 239.59 mg/100 ml at maximum shelf life. The sample of the juice had 31 insignificant regression coefficients at 5 percent probability level after checking the adequacy of the predicted model. Equation 34 expresses the fitted model for predicting the shelf life of red sample of cashew fruit juice which recorded 17 experiments that did not meet minimum quality requirement of ascorbic acid level

Production and evaluation of cold extruded and baked ready-to-eat snacks from blends of breadfruit (Treculia africana), cashewnut (Anacardium occidentale) and coconut (Cocos nucifera)

Five samples of ready-to-eat (RTE) snacks were produced by cold extrusion, baking (150oC for 30 minutes) and drying (50oC for 15 minutes) from blends of breadfruit, cashew nut, whole and defatted coconut along with other ingredients. The snacks were subjected to physical, chemical and sensory analyses. The results revealed the following ranges: physical properties (bulk density 0.32 to 0.51g/cm3, apparent density 0.37 to 0.49g/cm3, porosity -6.08 to 0.28g/cm3 and lateral expansion 16% to 22%); proximate parameters (moisture 1.33 to 3.08%, ash 1.97 to 2.05%, crude fibre 0.32 to 1.47%, crude protein 13.45 to 15.90%, crude fat 13.37 to 21.50% and carbohydrate 62.27 to 66.49%) and  micronutrients (vitamin B 0.202 to 0.501mg/100g, vitamin B1 0.130 to 0.423mg/100g, vitamin B2 0.014 to 0.114mg/100g, vitamin B3 0.157 to 0.477mg/100g and iron 2.61 to 5.86mg/100g). Sensory evaluation revealed that highly acceptable nutrient dense snacks were produced from blends of breadfruit, cashewnut, and defatted coconut.  Keywords: Physical properties, Proximate composition, Micronutrients, Sensory properties