Sensory and nutritional attributes of pomegranate juices extracted from separated arils and pressed whole fruits

Abstract

The present study aimed to compare the sensory and nutritional attributes of 'Wonderful' pomegranate juices extracted from separated arils with those from pressed whole fruits. Five different sensory tests were conducted to evaluate the flavor quality of 'Wonderful' pomegranate juices. Consumer acceptance tests revealed that juice from separated arils achieved significantly higher likability scores than that from whole pressed fruits. Furthermore, preference tests revealed that 84% of the tasters preferred the juice extracted from separated arils whereas only 16% preferred the juice from whole pressed fruits. Sensory discrimination tests (triangle tests) revealed that tasters significantly distinguished between the two juices at P ≤ 0.01. Descriptive tests by a trained panel and sensory analysis with an electronic tongue demonstrated that juice from whole pressed fruits was more astringent and had a stronger aftertaste than juice from separated arils. Juice from pressed whole fruits contained significantly higher levels of phenols and hydrolysable tannins, which led to higher astringency. Pomegranate juice extracted from separated arils was less astringent and more preferred by tasters than juice from whole pressed fruits. Nonetheless, juice from separated arils has lower nutritional benefits.