Unveiling the molecular profile of apple–beetroot blended powder through FTIR

Fruit and vegetable are highly perishable commodities, they are prone to deteriorate rapidly after harvest due to lack of adequate postharvest facilities. Blending is the process of mixing two or more fruits pulp, juice or their concentrates which results in good combination of taste and nutritive value. Fruits and vegetables are abundant reserves of antioxidants, bioactive compounds, vitamins and minerals. In this research, the apple and beetroot pulp were used to obtain powders via cabinet drying at 60±2°C. The study employed Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), a sophisticated machine learning technique, to analyze powdered apples and apple-beetroot blends. The purpose of this study was to use the FTIR technique to assess the impact of processing on the powder’s structure and to present precise information about the properties of powders. By determining the main functional groups, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis of the powder further verified the presence of phenolics and betalains. Additionally, the presence of significant aromatic acid, ester and alcohol groups was revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. This product offer tremendous nutritional value and are ideally suited for wide range of consumers belonging to any age groups.