CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITY AND QUALITY EVALUATION OF COCONUT-DATE JAM

ABSTRACT Jam is a gelatinized fruit product prepared by fruit pulp, sugar, acid and pectin .This study focused on the consumer acceptability and quality evaluation of coconut-date jam developed from varying ratios of date palm fruit and coconut milk, with sugar and pectin as additives. The project aimed to assess the proximate composition, physicochemical attributes, antioxidant activity, microbial load, and sensory qualities of five formulated jam samples labeled as D100, D60C10S30, D50C20S30, D40C30S30, and D30C40S30. Proximate analysis showed significant variation among samples. D30C40S30. (30% date, 40% coconut, 30% sugar) exhibited the highest protein (16.14%), fat (9.33%), and fiber content (1.72%), attributed to the higher inclusion of coconut. Conversely, D100, (100% date) had the highest moisture (56.83%) and carbohydrate (65.78%) contents but the lowest protein (1.79%) and fat (0.36%) levels. Physicochemical analysis revealed that pH ranged between 6.56 and 6.87 across samples, and total soluble solids (TSS) ranged from 62.32 to 64.63°Brix.Titratable acidity was low in all formulations, suggesting mild acidity. Viscosity measurements showed an increase with higher coconut content due to the fibrous nature of coconut pulp, enhancing consistency. The color of the jams varied significantly, with samples containing more coconut showing greater lightness and appeal. The antioxidant activity, measured through DPPH radical scavenging assay, ranged from 13.90 to 19.33 mg GAE/g, in which sample D30C40S30 had the highest value indicating synergistic effects between coconut and date bio-actives. Microbial analysis demonstrated acceptable safety levels across all samples, with D100 showing the least bacterial and fungal growth due to the antimicrobial properties of dates. Sensory evaluation conducted with 30 semi-trained panelists highlighted D30C40S30 as the most preferred sample in all attributes, including color, taste, texture, aroma, and overall acceptability. This was attributed to the balance between the creamy texture from coconut and the natural sweetness from dates. Statistical analysis confirmed that differences among samples were significant (p ≤ 0.05). Overall, the study demonstrated the potential of coconut-date jam as a nutritious, shelf-stable, and consumer-acceptable product that utilizes locally available agricultural produce, minimizes post-harvest losses, and supports food innovation in functional fruit-based spreads.