Formulation of Ridge Gourd Peel Incorporated Food Spread

The increasing waste generation from fruit and vegetable products has created a need for sustainable approaches to utilize these by-products in food systems. Vegetable peels are rich in dietary fibre, minerals, and bioactive compounds, making them suitable for the development of functional foods. The present study aimed to formulate a value-added, fibre-rich spread using ridge gourd Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb peel and evaluate its sensory acceptability, and determine its cost. A control (Garlic spread-100%) and four variations of ridge gourd peel powder incorporated spread (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) were prepared. Sensory evaluation was conducted using 9-point hedonic scale and most acceptable variation was selected. The result revealed that among the different formulations of the spread, variation II (ridge gourd peel-10%) was selected based on sensory scores (8.25 ± 0.88). The cost of ridge gourd peel spread (Rs. 64/100 g) was higher than both the control and commercial spreads. Hence this study indicate that incorporation of ridge gourd peel into a spread is a viable approach for developing a value-added functional product, promoting sustainable utilization of food waste, though with a marginal increase in cost.