NATA DE FRUTA: FORMULATION, ANALYSES AND ACCEPTABILITY

Nata de Fruta, a fermented dessert traditionally made from coconut water, but innovatively developed using tropical fruits like guava, jackfruit, melon, orange, and papaya.The main purpose of the study was to develop Nata de Fruta using tropical fruits, namely, guava, jackfruit, melon, orange, and papaya.The study aimed to evaluate the sensory qualities and general acceptability of Nata de Fruta across five treatments.It also sought to identify any significant differences in sensory qualities and acceptability among the treatments.Additionally, it sought to determine the microbial and proximate analysis of the best product and determine the shelf-life of Nata de Fruta.The researcher used a developmental method, and the nine-point hedonic scale was used to evaluate the treatments regarding sensory qualities and general acceptability.The findings of the study revealed that jackfruit consistently excelled in most sensory attributes, including aroma, taste, and texture, and was rated highest in general acceptability.The findings indicated no significant differences in appearance among the five treatments of Nata de Fruta, suggesting uniformity across the fruits used.However, there were significant differences in general acceptability among the treatments.Laboratory tests on 25 grams of Nata de Fruta showed no presence of Salmonella or E. coli, with an aerobic plate count of 560 CFU/g, yeast count of 35 CFU/g, and mold count of 10 CFU/g.The sample's composition included 57.57% carbohydrates, 27.06% moisture, 1.01% protein, and 0.13% fat.