No abstract

The research work was conducted to find out the effect of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate on the overall quality of strawberry squash, stored at ambient temperature for 90 days. The research samples were numbered as T1 (strawberry squash without preservative), T2 (0.1% sodium benzoate), T3 (0.1% potassium sorbate), T4 (0.05% sodium benzoate + 0.05% potassium sorbate), T5 (0.075% sodium benzoate + 0.025% potassium sorbate). The samples were studied for pH, TSS, % acidity, ascorbic acid, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar and organoleptic evaluation (color, flavor, taste and overall acceptability). A decrease was observed in pH (2.86 to 1.92), TSS (49.50 to 42.76), ascorbic acid content (41.75 to 24.74), non-reducing sugar (26.12 to 24.47) and an increase in % acidity (1.31 to 1.97) and reducing sugar (10.40 to 11.85). During sensory evaluation, the sample T4 (0.05% sodium benzoate + 0.05 % potassium sorbate) was found most acceptable. Statistical analysis showed that the treatments and storage intervals had a significant (P<0.05) effect on the physicochemical and organoleptic analysis of strawberry squash.