Nutritional, bioactive and shelf-life attributes of low-cost composite health bar incorporated with dried jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana cv. Umran) and honey

Jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana cv. Umran), is an Asian fruit rich in vitamins and minerals. Jujube retains large proportion of bioactive components after drying. Dried jujube was utilized in composite health bar at various levels (10-30%) along with wheat, rice puffs, oat flakes and honey and compared with bar containing sugar syrup and the bar containing honey and raisins. There was significant increase in the nutritional and bioactive contents of the bar with increase in incorporation of jujube. However, sensory acceptability of the bar containing 20 per cent dried jujube was the highest. Significant changes in firmness and colour characteristics of the bar were observed with change in jujube content. Shelf-life studies of bar, packed in aluminum laminates, revealed that the composite bar remained acceptable for 120 days, under ambient conditions. Cost analysis showed notably lower cost for the standardized jujube-honey bar as compared to the one containing raisins.