Assessment of nutritional value and safety of soft drinks enriched with berries growing in the Republic of Azerbaijan in comparison with traditional drinks

Abstract

The study used modified formulations of traditional drinks to enrich them with several nutrients and microelements. Berries selected for the study, namely: dogwood, pomegranate, persimmon, blueberry, and raspberry, demonstrated high antioxidant activity and rich vitamin composition. The study revealed a significant increase in the antioxidant activity of traditional Azerbaijani drinks when enriched with berry extracts. The antioxidant activity of arrowroot increased by 20 mg GAE/100 ml after dogwood enrichment. Sherbet showed an increase in activity of 22.5 mg GAE/100 ml with the addition of raspberries. Tea enriched with persimmon increased its antioxidant activity by 125%. The pomegranate-enriched compote increased its activity by 24 mg GAE/100 ml. Blueberry pekmez showed average results, although due to the high level of nutritional properties of blueberries, it was also a promising research object. The study also analysed the selected berries, further evaluating potential changes in the vitamin composition, antioxidant activity, and organoleptic properties of the beverages after adding the berries. The most significant improvement in taste, aroma, colour and texture of the drinks was observed in persimmon extract-enriched tea and blueberry pekmez, which received the highest scores for all parameters after enrichment. The antioxidant activity of the drinks also increased significantly after adding berry extracts. The microbiological and chemical risks associated with the use of fresh berries and the proposed measures to ensure the safety of beverages helped to shape the further vector of research in this area

Keywords

• antioxidant activity
• healthy food
• functional foods
• microbiological analysis
• formulations