Optimization of Tropical Juice Composition for the Spanish Market

The optimal proportions of 3 concentrate juices, passion fruit, pineapple, and banana, mixed with white grape juice were investigated by preferences mapping techniques. The objective was to establish the minimum level of each concentrated tropical juice necessary to add to a white grape juice so that it would be perceived as a mixture by consumers. A nonverbal test, analyzed by proxscal, demonstrated that decreasing an amount of concentrate juice from 4% to 1% would have no statistically significant effect on flavor recognition by consumers. Internal preference map for flavor and color acceptability revealed that a commercial mix of pineapple with white grape juice mix (used as control) was the most accepted juice, closely followed by an experimental mix of passion fruit with white grape juice. Principal component analysis revealed the importance of overall taste, overall odor, acid fruit aroma, acid taste, and pulp in the acceptability of these 3 juices.