Development and Sensory Acceptance of Avocado Paste with Potential Application in a Ketogenic Diet

Abstract

The ketogenic diet is a nutritional strategy based on high fat intake and low carbohydrate intake. Avocado stands out as a promising ingredient for this dietary approach due to its high lipid content and the presence of bioactive compounds. However, the high perishability of avocado fruit necessitates the use of technological solutions to prolong its usability. In this context, the development of avocado-based pastes represents a viable and functional alternative. This study aimed to develop and evaluate, through sensory analysis, two avocado paste formulations with potential application in the ketogenic diet. Two formulations were developed: F1 (avocado, coconut milk, coconut oil, and erythritol) and F2 (identical base composition with the addition of cocoa). Sensory analyses were performed by 75 untrained adult assessors, employing an acceptance test (9-point hedonic scale), purchase intention test (5-point scale), and paired preference test. Both formulations achieved high acceptance rates (92% for F1 and 90.6% for F2), accompanied by low rejection. Purchase intention results were also positive, with 80% of evaluators indicating that they would purchase F1 and 85.4% indicating purchase intent for F2. In the paired preference test, 69% of participants preferred formulation F2, indicating that the addition of cocoa enhanced sensory characteristics. Furthermore, the cocoa-containing formulation aligns with current dietary recommendations advocating the consumption of foods rich in bioactive compounds, such as those present in cocoa. Thus, the avocado pastes developed exhibited favorable sensory acceptance and demonstrated promising market potential as functional products suitable for the ketogenic diet. The cocoa-containing formulation (F2) was notably preferred by participants.

Keywords: Avocado. Ketogenic Diet. Sensory Analysis. Cocoa.