Jam was standardised by incorporating tender coconut pulp at various levels with fruit pulp of pineapple, mango, grapes and papaya. On the basis of nutritional qualities, jam prepared with 25% TCP Tender coconut pulp and 75% pineapple pulp were found to be the best. Jam prepared with 25% TCP and 75% blended fruit pulp were organoleptically more acceptable. The highest gel strength was observed for jam prepared with 25% tender coconut pulp and 75 % blended fruit pulp. The maximum adhesiveness was in the jam prepared using 100% tender coconut pulp. Acidity, moisture, TSS and reducing sugar of the products slightly increased during storage. However, a decreasing trend was observed in the case of total sugar content during storage. The highest fat content was observed in jam prepared using 100% TCP. The mineral content gradually decreased with advancement of storage period.

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Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L) is the only source of fashionable delicacy “Chocolate”. However, reduction in quality of processed beans due to accumulation of free fatty acid is a major problem. It is expected that the free fatty acid content must be less than 1.75 % in dry cocoa beans and chocolates. The small scale processors can not reach to the standards of chocolates of multinational companies. The study standardised a protocol for time (7, 9 and 11 hours) and temperature (600C and 700C) of tempering and conching in chocolate making. The physico chemical analysis and sensory evaluation of the chocolates were carried out. Tempering and conching influenced the textural properties like hardness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness and gumminess of chocolates. The energy content of 579.04 and 579.82 kcal was recorded in chocolates prepared at 600C and 700C for 11 hours. The protein content of alkalised and non alkalised chocolates varied between 7.30 and 10.45 g/100 g. The polyphenol content was 21 mg/100 g and 23 mg/100 g in alkalised and non alkalised chocolates. The lowest free fatty acid content in alkalised and non alkalised chocolates was 1.67% and 1.68% prepared at 700C for 11 hours. There was highest total score for sensory evaluation also for the chocolate prepared at 700C for 11 hours.

Cocoa is regarded as a super food due to its high nutrient content and proven health benefits. Cocoa beans are rich in carbohydrate (31%), protein (11%), fat (54%), fibre (16%) and minerals. Cocoa is a good source of bioactive compounds too. The major bioactive components are polyphenols constituted of flavanoids and non flavanoids. The bioactive components with rich antioxidants and anti-inflammatory activities contribute to various health benefits. The flavonoid rich chocolates improve peripheral vascular function. The consumption of cocoa or chocolate are beneficial in inhibiting the complex molecular process leading to cancer. Flavanoids in cocoa increases insulin sensitivity by improving endothelial function and reducing oxidative stress. The cocoa flavonoids also penetrate and accumulate in the brain regions involved in learning and memory. The knowledge on bioactive compounds in cocoa and cocoa products suggests that they could be consumed as a part of wholesome, health promoting nutritional food.

The state fruit of Kerala, jack, is a miraculous fruit due to its nutrient profile, health benefits and greater potential for value addition. It can be better utilised if consumer acceptable products are prepared from this fruit. The growing demand for "healthy food" is stimulating the innovation and development of new products nationally and internationally. Yogurt, a milk-based product, is a healthy food which offers high nutritional value with concentrated amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The added value of yogurt over milk lies in the presence of beneficial bacteria as well as certain bioactive components. The study was aimed at developing a low-fat yogurt. Hence in this study, yogurts were prepared by incorporating varying proportions of blanched jackfruit pulp (10%, 20%, and 30%) along with equal volumes of homogenized and skimmed milk. Both koozha and varikka variety of jackfruits were prepared. The jackfruit bulbs were steam blanched for five minutes and pulped to prepare the yogurt. Plain yogurt served as the control. The prepared yogurts were organoleptically evaluated using a 9 point hedonic scale with a panel of 15 judges. The selection of the best sample was done based on Kendall's coefficient of concordance. Among the fruit yogurts, the yogurt with 30% jackfruit pulp scored maximum for the sensory attributes. Chemical parameters like pH, moisture, fat, protein, crude fiber and a total ash content of the yogurts were determined.

<p>A systematic study was conducted to standardize the fermentation periods, methods and the performance of drying methods (natural sun drying and artificial oven drying) in the development of free fatty acid content in cocoa beans. Cocoa beans were subjected to different days of fermentation, starting with one day up to seven days and various fermentation methods (basket, heap and sack method). Heap method at seventh day of fermentation attained the best results with maximum per cent of fully fermented beans and lowest free fatty acid content (&lt;1.75%). After fermentation, the cocoa beans were sun-dried and oven dried. The pH of sun dried beans ranged from 4.71 to 5.91, while that of oven dried beans was between 4.53 and 5.89. The sun dried beans contained higher moisture content than artificially oven dried beans and the bean recovery was also more in sun dried beans. The lipase activity prone to free fatty acid formation was higher in oven dried cocoa beans than sun dried beans. However the free fatty acid content was increased in both sun dried and oven dried cocoa beans (1.26 and 1.47%) compared to fermented cocoa beans, but it remains below the permissible limit of 1.75%.</p>