Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Vinegar Produced from Pineapple Waste

Pineapple processing generates a huge amount of by-products like peels, core and pomace which are often discarded, resulting in major disposal and environmental issue. These residues are rich in sugars making them an ideal substrate for fermentation to produce value-added product like vinegar. With fruit vinegar gaining recognition in recent years for its functional properties, utilizing pineapple waste for vinegar production offers a sustainable approach to waste management. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the physico-chemical and sensory properties of vinegar produced from pineapple processing waste. For must preparation, all the treatments were adjusted to 15° Brix with sugar and inoculated with wine yeast (2.5 g/L). The resulting wines were acetified with 10% (v/v) Acetobacter aceti (MTCC-3246) under aerobic conditions. The results indicated that vinegar derived from pineapple peel exhibited the highest acetic acid content (4.75%), the lowest pH (2.60), and superior colour intensity (4.05) and density (2.99). Sensory evaluation further revealed that peel vinegar was the most preferred in terms of colour (7.65), flavour (6.96), sourness (8.02), and overall acceptability (7.76). These findings highlight the significant impact of different pineapple waste components on vinegar quality and a sustainable approach to fruit waste utilization.