DEVELOPMENT OF A REDUCED-SUGAR BANANA AND PASSION FRUIT JAM SUBSTITUTED WITH STEVIA AS A HEALTH-ORIENTED PRODUCT

Abstract

This research aimed to develop a reduced-sugar banana passion fruit jam using stevia as a sugar substitute. The objective was to utilize ripe bananas, a raw material often oversupplied in the market or with a short shelf life, thereby mitigating food loss and enhancing the value of agricultural produce. The study comprised two experimental parts: investigating the optimal ratio of banana to passion fruit, and evaluating various levels of sugar replacement with stevia at 0%, 50%, and 100%. Sensory characteristics were subsequently assessed by 50 consumers. The results indicated that formula F2 (150g banana : 35g passion fruit) was the most suitable based on sensory acceptance tests. This optimal formula was then used to study sugar replacement, comparing three formulations: S1 (control), S2 (50% sugar replacement), and S3 (100% sugar replacement). Sensory evaluation by 50 consumers revealed that formula S2 received the highest overall liking score (7.30 ± 1.80), which was statistically and signifcantly different from the control formula (6.60 ± 1.75) and formula S3 (3.50 ± 1.90) (p ≤ 0.05). Formula S3 received the lowest sweetness score (3.60 ± 1.80) and elicited comments regarding a bitter aftertaste from the stevia. Analysis of the just-about-right (JAR) scale for formula S3 showed that sweetness had a size and direction of difference of +25.64 (should be reduced), while viscosity and spread ability had values of -29.35 and -34.38, respectively (should be increased). This study demonstrates an effective approach for developing healthy, reduced-sugar jams and mitigating food loss.