A huge loss of bioactive compounds occurs during thermal processing of food products mainly jam and jellies because of the long cooking process. Moreover, the original color and aroma of the fruit are also lost, which necessitate the external addition of coloring and flavoring compounds. Therefore, high pressure processing (HPP) was used to prepare jam and the target was to reduce its sugar content. Since there is no possibility for water evaporation in this process, a fruit with high fiber content, to hold extra water, was selected, that is, sapodilla (Manilkara zapota), which is also an antioxidant-rich fruit with a short shelf life. The formulation with 45% total soluble solids (TSS), 4% pectin, and 1% acid content was similar to a full calorie (>65% TSS) jam in terms of rheological and functional properties. In addition, the HPP jam showed better retention of bioactive compounds and stability as compared to thermal-processed jam.
Practical applicationsThe conventionally processed jam is generally added with external coloring and flavoring agents as the original fruit color and flavor are destroyed during thermal processing of jam because of the longer duration. Moreover, antioxidants are also lost during jam processing. However, high pressure processing preserves the original fruit quality in jam. Usually, a pretreatment is applied for high pressure processed jam, as reported in the literature, to remove extra water. The pretreatment was avoided in this study by using a fiber-rich fruit since fiber has a good water-holding capacity. Also, the sugar content was reduced by about 25% from the normal concentration used in full-calorie jam. The results from this study can be employed to develop new HPP products rich in fiber and low in calories.