Development of Cereal Flakes from Papaya (Carica papaya L.) and it’s Quality Evaluation During Storage

In the present investigation, various treatment combinations were optimized for the preparation of papaya fruit flakes. For the standardization of papaya cereal flakes three different recipes were tried with various combinations of papaya pulp, maida flour (100 %), corn flour (100 %), maida flour and corn flour in combination (70:30) for the development of papaya cereal flakes. Papaya cereal flakes prepared by using different combinations of both flours were compared on the basis of sensory evaluation with standard recipe in which maida was used. Papaya cereal flakes (T3) prepared using papaya pulp2.5 Kg, maida and corn flour in 70:30 ratio -(220.5 +94.5) g, sucrose150 g, glucose-150 g, pectin3.65 g, water250 ml, CaCO3-3 g was rated best on the basis of sensory evaluation. Further the prepared product were packed in aluminium laminated pouches and stored for 6 months under ambient temperature conditions. The various quality characteristics such as moisture, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total sugars, reducing sugars, ash, fibre and carotenoids, were analyzed at 0, 3 and 6 months interval. The stored papaya-cereal flakes had better quality in terms of color, flavor, texture, overall acceptability and also have better retention of all quality characteristics at ambient temperature conditions. Thus papaya-cereal flakes could be stored successfully without any significant changes in quality characteristics at ambient temperature conditions for 6 months in aluminium laminated pouches.