Development and Popularization of Value added Products from Thavun- An Under Utilized Palmyra Product

Author: Subha R.* and Devi T.

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Abstract

The current study focuses on the development of food products using thavun, analyzing its nutritional composition, and popularizing the developed thavun products. Thavun is sweet and spongy haustorium that is an early germinate product from dry panampazham that has fallen on the ground after complete ripening. Palmyra Thavun is an unpopular, underutilized and seasonally available perishable product with limited post-harvest shelf life. Palmyra Thavun possess anti-microbial, antioxidant, anti - diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties and also rich in phytochemicals. In this study, food products like jam, syrup, jujube, pachadi and idli powder were developed using thavun and standardized. The sensory evaluation for the developed thavun food products was carried out with the help of 10 trained panel members using 5-point Hedonic scale. The results of organoleptic evaluation concludes that Sample A - Thavun Jam (100% of thavun) and Sample A - Thavun syrup (100 % of thavun syrup), Sample C (80 % of thavun jujube and Sample B (60 % of thavunidli powder) gained high mean score value than the other samples. Analysis of proximate composition and the determination of phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of the selected palmyra thavun food products were carried out. It is evident that palmyra thavun products are rich in micro and macronutrients, phytochemicals and antioxidant. The microbial load of the packed thavun food products at 5 days intervals using the plate count method was analyzed. Zip-lock pack showed minimal microbial count than the developed palmyra thavun food products packed with the aluminium foil cover. The cost of the products was calculated and the popularization among the self-help group was performed. The cost of the developed Thavun Products (per 100g) are Thavun Jam (Rs. 32), Thavun Syrup (Rs. 35), Thavun Jujube (Rs. 38), Thavun Pachadi (Rs. 40) and Thavun Idly Powder (Rs. 55). The study results portray that the development of food products using palmyra thavun, effectively extends the shelf life of an under-utilized thavun.

Keywords

Palmyra Thavun, Spongy haustorium, Hedonic scale, Popularization, Self-help group

Conclusion

Palmyra thavun is an under-utilized, unpopular, seasonally-available and perishable palm product with a limited post-harvest shelf-life. Apparently "Thavun" was not exposed to the millennial population to taste. The development of thavun based food products mainly focuses on extending the shelf-life of the palmyra thavun. Modern procedures must be used to increase the shelf life of value-added palmyra thavun goods for improved distribution, as well as processing methods to preserve them for use in the off-season. Adding value to thavun entails altering their physical appearance, which improves their acceptance, availability, market viability, and cost-benefit analysis for the producer. The development and popularization of thavun food products gained maximum acceptability.

References

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How to cite this article

Subha R. and Devi T. (2023). Development and Popularization of Value Added Products from Thavun- An Under Utilized Palmyra Product. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(5): 1504-1511.