Development and quality characteristics of functional Kulfi fortified with microencapsulated betalains

Fruit and vegetable waste valorisation has opened opportunities for the utilisation of food waste for extraction and development of valuable functional foods. Therefore, the study was designed to develop a functional Kulfi fortified with encapsulated betalains extracted from red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) pomace. Moreover, fortified functional Kulfi samples were studied for physico-chemical, antioxidant, microbiological and sensory analyses. Fortified functional Kulfi reported the higher antioxidant activity (64.88% and 75.27%) with reduced melting rate (1.84 mL min(-1) and 2.08 mL min(-1)) and microbial profile (3.77 log CFU g(-1) and 3.14 log CFU g(-1)) compared with control. Sensory analysis showed a no significant (P > 0.05) impact on the overall acceptability of functional Kulfi (7.25) compared with the commercial Kulfi (7.20), which was further confirmed by a bi-plot of principal component analysis. Overall, the encapsulated betalains improved the quality characteristics of functional Kulfi and could be used for the development of frozen dairy products.

Automated summary

The study developed a functional Kulfi fortified with encapsulated betalains extracted from red beetroot pomace, showing higher antioxidant activity, reduced melting rate, and improved microbial profile. Sensory analysis indicated no significant impact on overall acceptability compared to commercial Kulfi.