Kulkarni and Joshi

and deep yellow-orange colour. It has been reported to

min carried out in 500 ppm solution of K S O ₃ prior to

2 2

be used to supplement cereal flours in bakery products,

drying. The pretreated cubes of pumpkin fruit were dried

for soups, sauces, instant noodle and spice as well as

for preparation of powder using vacuum dryer. Vacuum

a natural colouring agent in pasta and flour mixes. To

drying of pumpkin cubes was carried out at 80 O C & 700

enhance the shelf life of pumpkin powder and to make

mm Hg vacuum (Kulkarni and Joshi, 2013). The Pumpkin

it easily available to the consumers, a technology was

powder was analyzed for carotene content by the method

developed for the manufacture of carotene rich pumpkin

described by Jensen (1978).

powder (Kulkarni and Joshi, 2013). Like all other

products the quality of pumpkin powder also deteriorates

Storage of Pumpkin Powder

during storage. The changes in chemical composition

Storage study of pumpkin powder produced using all the

and microbiological quality of pumpkin powder during

optimized parameters was carried out for 6 months both

storage are of utmost importance from commercial point

at ambient temperature i.e. 30+2°C & 62+ 5% RH and

of view, as they are most important attributes that govern

at 7+1°C & 80+ 5% RH. The shelf life was determined

the consumer acceptability and storage life (Khamrui

on the basis of chemical and microbiological analysis

and Pal, 2003). The effect of storage temperatures on the

of stored powder. A 1 g of sample was filled in a small

chemical and microbiological quality changes of pumpkin

aluminum polythene laminated bag and packed air

powder packed in aluminum laminated metalized flexible

tightly. These bags were kept in the laboratory at ambient

pouches are reported in this paper.

temperature and also in refrigerator maintained at 7°C in

dark condition and studied for following parameters.

Materials and Methods

Total carotene content

Raw Material

The powder samples were analyzed both initially (0 day

Seeds of popularly grown pumpkin ( Cucurbita maxima )

of storage) as well as thereafter at every 15 days interval

variety MPH-1 in Anand region were procured from

for carotene stability. Percent carotene was estimated by

the local market. These seeds were cultivated on the

the method given by Jensen (1978). Analysis was carried

AAU farm. The pumpkin fruits were harvested at a

out in duplicate and the average values are reported.

typical maturity of 100 days. These fruits were stored

in the laboratory under ambient conditions (27+3°C,

Microbiological analysis

62+ 5%RH).

Initially (0 day) and thereafter at every 15 days regular

Chemical composition of edible portion of pumpkin fruit

interval, the samples stored at both room temperature and at

and powder

7 O C in duplicate were analyzed for microbiological quality.

The samples were subjected to analysis for standard plate

The fresh pumpkin fruit pulp and powder prepared

count (SPC) using plate count agar, coliform count using

from it were analyzed for moisture, total soluble solids,

violet red bile agar (VRBA) and yeast and mold count

carbohydrate, protein, fat, crude fibre, ash, carotene,

using freshly prepared acidified (pH adjusted to 3.5 by

ascorbic acid, phosphorus, calcium, iron and pH value.

sterile 10 per cent tartaric acid solution) potato dextrose

The standard prescribed methods for analysis employed

agar as per the standard procedure (Ranganna, 1986). A

(AOAC, 1990). All chemicals used in the experiment

1 g of sample was dissolved in 99 ml sterile water to

were of analytical grade from reputed manufacturers like

obtain 1:100 dilutions. Subsequently, 5 ml of the dilution

Qualigens, E-Merck etc

was poured in a set of sterile petri plates in duplicate. The

Pumpkin powder production

data obtained from the replicates during the investigation

were analyzed statistically for the analysis of variance as

The peeled pumpkin fruit was converted into 10 mm size

described by Snedecor and Cochran (1994).

cubes and subjected for pretreatments such as blanching

(temperature 94°C, time 2 min.) and sulphitation for 10

422