Effect of carrot pulp on the physicochemical, microbiological and sensory attributes of kulfi

Abstract

Modified traditional food items with healthier additives have attracted researchers for their nutritional benefits and enhanced tastes. The present study aimed to prepare traditional kulfi blended with carrot pulp and to investigate the effect of added carrot on the physicochemical, microbiological and sensory qualities of kulfi. The cost analysis of kulfi was also conducted. A total of four samples (T1, T2, T3 and T4) were prepared by incorporating 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% carrot pulp, respectively, where T1 (0% carrot pulp) was the control sample. The results demonstrated that the moisture content and fibre increased while fat, protein, total soluble solid, carbohydrate, and ash in the kulfi samples decreased with the increasing amount of carrot pulp. The pH value was higher in the carrot pulp with the addition of kulfi than in the control one. However, the melting rate of different treatments decreased with the addition of carrot pulp. For all sensory characteristics, the highest value was obtained by T3 (10% carrot pulp) among the other treatments. The microbial counts in all treated samples were at safe levels, and there was no presence of yeast, mold and coliforms. The cost structure of the product revealed a reduction in the production cost for carrot pulp-supplemented kulfi compared to the control kulfi. It was calculated that the average production cost of each kulfi was 32.90 BDT (0.38 USD), 32.40 BDT (0.38 USD), 31.90 BDT (0.37 USD), and 31.40 BDT (0.37 USD) for sample T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively, which appeared to be reasonably competitive. In this research, the partial incorporation of carrot pulp resulted in a safe, low -cost, and consumer-based kulfi with variations in its physicochemical attributes.