Effect of partial substitution of tomato for avocado on physico-chemical and sensory aspects of sweet-and-sour sauce.

This study aimed to develop sweet-and-sour sauces with partial substitution of tomato for avocado. Four sauces formulations containing 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% avocado pulp were prepared. The pH, titratable acidity (TA), sugar: acid ratio, color, consistency, and syneresis analyses were performed. Sensory acceptance was measured by the hedonic, Just-about-right (JAR), and purchase intent scales. Besides, a check-all-that-apply (CATA) form was applied to obtain description data on the formulations. The results of the color parameters showed that treatments containing avocado had higher (p < 0.05) lightness and yellowness. The avocado addition improved the rheological measurements. There was an increase in the consistency of the sauces when the avocado concentration increased. The opposite was observed for syneresis, which decreased (p < 0.05) as the avocado pulp concentration increased. Sensory evaluation revealed good consumer acceptance, and purchase intent analysis showed that most consumers would buy this product. For JAR data, sauces with 50 and 75% avocado had highest values of consistency in the JAR region. The consumers who reported the formulation with 25% avocado to be "not enough" penalized its acceptance, reducing the overall acceptance. Based on the frequency of terms cited by consumers in the CATA, it was possible to consider specific terms for each formulation. The terms pleasant color, good taste, brightness, and good consistency were associated with high overall acceptance. These terms were mostly used for sauces with 25% and 50% avocado. Therefore, sweet-and-sour sauces based on a combination of tomato and avocado has proven to be a viable alternative to traditional ketchup. © Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2022.