Effect of preservatives on nutritional quality, shelf life, and profitability of pineapple pomace balls

Aim: Bangladesh produces a huge number of pineapples in the hilly areas with its medium-high land. The country has several pineapple jam and jelly processing industries. But after processing into jelly, the pomace is dumped here and there, which creates environmental pollution. Thus, the objective of the study was to utilize the pineapple pomace for processing into pomace balls as laddus with its better shelf life and quality studies. Methods: The pineapple pomaces were treated with different proportions of potassium metabisulfite (KMS) and potassium sorbate (KS). Then the prepared laddus were packed into polyethylene terephthalate (PET) boxes and kept at room temperature for further studies. Results: The laddus treated with preservatives had higher total soluble solids, energy value, crude fiber, crude protein, vitamin C, β-carotene, and total sugars. Both laddus showed a trend of decreasing water activity. After 60 days of storage, tests for microbes and mycotoxins showed that the treated laddus were free of both, while the control sample showed some microbial activity. The developed pomace balls (T2, T3, and T4) also had acceptable levels of preservatives, KMS, and KS, both alone and in combination (KMS + KS). The levels were 71.28 ppm, 78.01 ppm, and 110.31 ppm, respectively. T4 laddus were the best of the formulations when it was evaluated for its color, texture, and low water activity. The cost-benefit ratio was evaluated considering the inputs required and the benefits of the product. Conclusions: The preservative-treated laddus could be stored for more than 60 days, whereas the control laddus could only be stored for 30 days. The cost-benefit ratio for the laddus was 1:1.33. The agro-food processing industries and small-scale pineapple processors could apply this technology for producing and marketing the pomace ball with a shelf life of up to 60 days.