PREPARATION, DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF WHOLE APPLE MATRIX CIDER VINEGAR

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is an ancient fermented functional food produced through a sequential two-stage microbial bioconversion of apple-derived sugars, first into ethanol and subsequently into acetic acid. This study was designed toprepare ACV from fresh apple pulp,develop three distinct flavored formulations - Mint, Green Chilli, and Apple Pulp with Honey and Lemon - and carry out proximate analysis, sensory evaluation, mineral profiling, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization of the prepared samples. Proximate analysis of the base ACV revealed moisture (98.76%), ash (0.22%), protein (0.20%), fat (0.001%), and carbohydrates (0.81%). Mineral analysis indicated the presence of Potassium (80 mg/100g), Phosphorus (10 mg/100g), Calcium (3.30 mg/100g), and Iron (0.51 mg/100g). Sensory evaluation conducted on a nine-point hedonic scale among 30 semi-trained panelists showed that Sample D (Apple Pulp with Honey