Abstract

Rising health concerns and nutritional gaps have spurred interest in innovative food products like vegetable-based jams. This study evaluated beetroot jam's potential by comparing its nutritional composition, antioxidant capacity, and sensory properties with conventional fruit jams (orange and pineapple) and a commercial strawberry jam. Jams were produced using standardized methods with beetroot, orange, and pineapple as primary ingredients, alongside sugar, pectin, and lemon juice. Analyses included vitamin content (ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, and Folate), mineral content (magnesium, potassium, manganese, and iron), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and sensory evaluations. Analysis of Variance (Least Significant Difference and Duncan Multiple Range Test) was used to compare mean data at p<0.05). Beetroot jam outperformed others with the highest ascorbic acid (0.080 ± 0.009 g/100g), beta-carotene (718.947 ± 5.35 µg/g), Folate (11.513 ± 0.111 µg DFE), and mineral levels, significantly surpassing the commercial control (p < 0.05). The commercial strawberry jam exhibited the highest TAC (51.18 ± 0.17%), followed by pineapple (43.86 ± 0.16%) and beetroot jams (38.30 ± 0.15%), with beetroot still showing notable antioxidant activity. Sensory scores indicated orange jam was most preferred overall (8.15 ± 0.59), but beetroot jam (7.00 ± 1.17) was comparable to the commercial brand (6.90 ± 1.41) and significantly favored for texture (7.15 ± 1.60 vs. 6.35 ± 1.35). These findings highlight beetroot jam as a nutritionally superior alternative to conventional fruit jams, with acceptable sensory qualities, strongly justifying its promotion for commercial and household use to leverage its health benefits and vibrant appeal.