Vol. 9, Special Issue 9, Part S (2025)

Aonla (Emblica officinalis L.) is a highly nutritious fruit, especially valued for its rich vitamin C content Due to its strong acidity and astringency, it is not widely consumed in fresh form. Moreover, being a seasonal fruit with limited shelf life, it is necessary to process it into value-added, shelf-stable products using simple preservation methods like drying. Osmotic dehydration serves as an effective approach in this regard. Various packaging materials, including low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), brown paper bags and laminated aluminium pouches, were employed. Samples were stored at room temperature (20-25 °C) and refrigerated (0-5 °C) over a three-month period, with analyses conducted at monthly intervals to assess changes in chemical composition and organoleptic qualities. Results indicated that samples stored in laminated aluminium pouches under refrigeration retained the highest levels of ascorbic acid (217.45 mg/100gm). Conversely, those stored at room temperature exhibited the highest acidity (1.11%). Notable increases in reducing sugars (48.22 to 52.05%) and total sugars (66.56 to 68.90%) were observed, alongside a partial reduction in non reducing sugars (19.87 to 17.86%) throughout the storage duration. Non-enzymatic browning was significantly lower in samples stored at room temperature in laminated aluminium pouches. Microbial analyses confirmed that osmotically dehydrated aonla segments are best preserved under refrigeration. Overall acceptability scores were highest (8.67) for samples packed in laminated aluminium pouches and stored in refrigerated conditions, while the lowest sensory ratings were recorded for those packed in brown paper (7.73) and stored at room temperature. These findings suggest that utilizing laminated aluminium pouches and refrigerating osmo-air dried aonla segments significantly enhances their storage life and quality, making this approach an effective method for preserving this nutritious fruit.