SVU develops healthier ‘fruit pops’ alternative to address chocolate cravings

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Food scientist Sangati Chenna Kesava Reddy displaying a ‘fruit pop’ and a dye used to make it. | Photo Credit: HANDOUT

Those who are prone to ‘chocoholism’ now have a healthier alternative — ‘fruit pops’. The patent application filed by Sri Venkateswara University’s (SVU) Intellectual Property Cell for the unique fruit pops has been received by the Indian Patents Office.

Sangati Chenna Kesava Reddy, an independent food scientist, and K.V. Sucharitha, a professor of Food Science and Nutrition at SVU, applied for a patent for the food technology to make these toffees with real fruits, to address the rising consumption of chocolate-based confectionery, especially by children, which has led to a perceivable rise in lifestyle disorders. The Patents Office recently published the application, taking the first step towards its acceptance.

A toffee that is all fruit, no chocolate. Food scientist Sangati Chenna Kesava Reddy and Food Science professor K.V. Sucharitha with their fruit pops, made from apple, pineapple and banana, at S.V University, Tirupati. Video: @iamrangarajanpic.twitter.com/VCTlY4meE7

The process of making fruit pops involves the selection of dehydrated fruit chunks that are in tune with the maturity indices, subjecting them to pre-treatment, slicing, pitting and de-seeding, treating with a 1% salt solution, drying on perforated stainless-steel trays at 45 degrees Celsius for 48 hours and periodically spreading the chunks during drying.

Once ready, the chunks are subjected to compression force using pre-designed dies and moulded to the desired shape, a cylindrical, spherical or coin-shaped toffee. They are then packed in wrappers and stored under dry conditions, ready for consumption.

The fruit pops, having soluble, digestible and edible fibre, function as a nutraceutical product. Since they are similar to chocolates, they can be used to wean children away from ‘chocoholism’ and are an easy remedy for chocolate craving.

The researchers used seasonal fruits such as