• Shivangi Bisht
• Gaurav Chandola
• Neha Singh
• Yukta Gupta
• Nishan CK

RTS (Ready-to-Serve) fruit beverages are prepackaged refreshing drinks designed for direct consumption. They contain edible parts of fruits, sugar, acid and water. These beverages offer convenience, diverse fruit flavors, and time-saving benefits, therefore, enjoyed by all age groups. However, they typically have low fruit content; high sugar levels and undergoes extensive processing, which can lead to the loss or reduction of certain nutrients such as vitamin C and volatile phytochemicals. Consequently, consumers are increasingly seeking healthier alternatives. To address these issues, development of a nutritionally enriched RTS beverage was attempted in the present study by infusing papaya leaf extract. The RTS beverage was formulated by blending 30% fruit content (apple pulp) with varying concentrations of papaya leaf extract (T1: 2%, T2: 3%, T3: 4%, T4: 5%) and compared against a control sample containing no papaya leaf extract. Sensory evaluation assessed the acceptability of the beverage among consumers. The control sample scored highest for taste (8.14±0.27) while, for color, odor, and overall acceptability, the T3 formulation scored highest (8.54±0.14, 8.11±0.11, 8.18±0.45, respectively). Physicochemical analyses were conducted to ensure the stability and palatability of the beverage, reporting values of 10.00 °B for TSS, 3.595 for pH, and 0.256% for acidity. There was a significant increase in the total phenols (4.12  1.55 mg/100g GAE), total flavonoids (150.23  2.25 mg/100g CAE), ascorbic acid (3.35  1.16 mg/100g) and antioxidant activity (65.23  1.89 μg/ml) of the beverage infused with. The shelf life study, conducted under refrigeration conditions (4-7°C), indicated that the beverage remained stable and free from significant spoilage for 15 days. The results suggest that the infusion of papaya leaf extract significantly improved the nutritional profile of the RTS beverage, providing additional health benefits without compromising taste and quality.

RTS beverage, papaya leaf extract, physiochemical properties, nutritional composition

"Development of Nutritionally Enriched Apple Based Ready-To-Serve (RTS) Beverage Infused with Papaya Leaf Extract", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 6, page no.b334-b351, June-2024, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2406144.pdf

"Development of Nutritionally Enriched Apple Based Ready-To-Serve (RTS) Beverage Infused with Papaya Leaf Extract", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 6, page no. ppb334-b351, June-2024, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2406144.pdf