Formulation and Production of New Carbonated Malt and Jujube Drink and Evaluation of its Physicochemical, Microbial and Sensory Properties during Storage

Malt and jujube are products with high nutritional value and wonderful medicinal properties. In order to benefit from the unique properties of both materials and to resolve problems related to malt soft drinks the production of a new beverage made of malt and jujube extracts was studied. In order to determine the optimal formulation, the central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM) was applied. Malt extract, jujube extract and sugar were the independent variables of the design that 20 formulations were determined based on their limits. Optimization was conducted to achieve maximum phenolic content and general acceptance and the optimal formulation was determined as 2.97 ml of malt extract, 5.50 ml of jujube extract and 5.05 g of sugar per hundred ml of beverage. In order to improve optimal formulation of the drink, jujube essence was extracted and added to the drink. The physicochemical, microbial and sensory properties of the final carbonated drink of malt and jujube extracts were evaluated at production time and after three months of refrigeration. During this period, pH, acidity and Brix of the drinks did not change significantly, but the total phenol increase was significant. No microorganisms resistant to acids, yeast and mold was found in the beverage and the number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria was very low and within the standard range. Although the rate of sensory properties had decreased significantly at the end of the maintenance period, the scores were still high and within the acceptable range of judges.