Effect of Different Storage Condition on pH and Vitamin C Content in Some Selected Fruit Juices (Pineapple, Pawpaw and Watermelon)
Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim *
Department of Food Science and Technology, Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), Wudil, Kano, Nigeria
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This research work was carried out to determine the suitable storage condition of fruit juices that will effectively retain their vitamin C content and pH level. Three different samples of fruits were processed into their respective juices, they were then analyzed to determine the vitamin C content and pH level of each samples, and stored at different storage condition. The samples were then analyzed after every week for one month, and the result shows that vitamin C content reduced by 72.9% at room temperature and 47.9% at refrigeration temperature in Pineapple juice,75.5% at room temperature and 47.2% at refrigeration temperature in Watermelon juice, and 69.4% at room temperature and 55.6% at refrigeration temperature in Pawpaw juice respectively. The analysis also shows that the pH level of the samples were reduced by 17% and 15.0% in Pineapple juice, 22.4% and 20.7% in Watermelon juice, 25.9% and 20.4% in Pawpaw juice at both room temperature and refrigeration temperature storage conditions respectively. Statistical analysis shows that there is no significance difference in term of vitamin C content and pH level between room temperature storage and refrigeration temperature at 5% level significance. It is therefore concluded that, storage of fruit juices at refrigeration temperature condition forms the basis of recommendation of this research.
Keywords: Vitamin C, pH, storage temperature, pineapple juice, papaya juice and watermelon juice