EVALUATION OF CHITOSAN AS A NEW NATURAL PRESERVATIVE IN ORANGE JUICE

Orange juice is one of the most widely consumed fruit juices in the world, as it provides a nutritious option with a pleasant flavor for a wide variety of customers. As a result, it has the potential to deliver useful substances into the human body, such as vitamin C and phenols. The present study was designed to produce orange juice by incorporating chitosan at different proportions (0.08-0.12 g/100 ml juice) into freshly produced orange juice. The sample formulations were further analyzed for changes in their physicochemical including, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, the ratio of total soluble solids to acidity, turbidity, ascorbic acid content, and total phenol content. Microbiological and sensory properties including taste, color, odor, and overall acceptability were determined. As well as their storage stability over a 30-day storage period, the orange juice exhibited improved physicochemical and shelf life properties based on the respective chitosan concentrations used. Hence, the study concluded that chitosan could be used as a natural preservative in the formulation of orange juice.