Process Optimization for Development of a Protein‐Enriched Spray‐Dried Pomelo Juice Powder and Its Storage Stability

ABSTRACT

Pomelo ( Citrus grandis ) is widely recognized as the largest citrus variety rich in beneficial health components; however, its seasonal availability limits marketability, necessitating value addition. In the present work, processing conditions for developing a protein‐enriched spray‐dried pomelo juice powder were optimized using central composite rotatable design. The study investigates the effect of independent variables, including juice (70%–85%), maltodextrin (2.00%–7.00%), and whey protein isolates (2.00%–7.00%), on dependent variables like moisture content, color value, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity. The optimum process conditions obtained using the desirability function approach were 85% juice content, 5.68% maltodextrin, and 2.72% whey protein isolate. A storage study of the optimized formulation was carried out for 105 days under two storage conditions (air‐tight container and Al‐LDPE pouches), demonstrating that the air‐tight container provided better storage stability than the Al‐LDPE pouches under the given storage conditions by preventing moisture ingress. The water activity of the stored samples did not exceed 0.61, and no observable growth in total plate count or total yeast and mold count was observed. However, Al‐LDPE pouches exhibited caking from the 45th day of storage, leading to deterioration in physicochemical properties and acceptability. The spray‐dried pomelo juice powder enriched with protein is a novel product, which has the potential to be further utilized for the development of value‐added products.