Formulation of Papaya Fruit Powder Incorporated Instant Drink Mix

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is a tropical fruit with excellent health benefits. However, papaya fruit with soft flesh is easily damaged and susceptible to oxidative degradation, which is not favourable for extended storage and transportation. One way of preserving papaya fruit is by drying into powdered form using spray-drying or freeze-drying techniques. The papaya fruit powder can then be transformed into various products such as instant drink mix and health supplements. This study aims to develop a suitable formulation of papaya fruit powder incorporated instant drink mix with high nutritional content and good sensory properties. Six different combinations were tried with different amount of papaya powder and other ingredients and evaluated for their physical and sensory properties. According to the results, the most liked Sample 3 has the greatest acceptability score due to its optimal flavour, aroma, and taste. Proximate analysis of Sample 3 revealed moisture content (5.3%), total carbohydrate (77.7%), total fat (0.3%), ash content (4.1%), total dietary fibre (0.2%) and protein (12.6%) which was comparable to available commercial product. Furthermore, the microbial activity test showed that the total plate count of microbes is 7.3×103 CFU/gm which is categorized as accepted and satisfied. This study demonstrates a practical use of powdered papaya fruit incorporated into instant drink mix that can be nutritional and convenient with good sensory properties.