CHEWRASA HERBA GUMMY LOZENGES: FORMULATION, TEXTURAL STABILITY, AND CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF AN UNDEREXPLORED WHITE ROSELLE AND GINGER-BASED ALTERNATIVE

Abstract

Herbal gummy lozenges are gaining substantial attention as functional confectionery products due to their potential health benefits and improved consumer acceptability. Traditional lozenges are hard and have the unpleasant texture that is hard to swallow. They also often contain synthetic colorants, preservatives and artificial flavors which may not be appropriate for people who have sensitive tastes or are children. Furthermore, even though Red Roselle has received much attention in research, White Roselle has not been studied as much, even though it contains high amounts of antioxidants and soothing capabilities. By creating this healthier and plant-based candy alternative, this study helps achieve SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Thus, this study prepared functional gummy lozenges made with White Roselle and ginger extract and analyzed their consumer-perceived physical, textural, and sensory properties. The gummy lozenge formulation was prepared using a hot process with gelatin as the gelling agent and honey to provide sweetness. Sensory analysis was conducted on a consumer panel of 35 participants using questionnaires that rank various organoleptic properties. The results indicated that all recipes successfully achieved stable gel structures, the Red Roselle with ginger formulation (Sample B / 436) was identified as the most balanced (57.14%) and preferred (51.43%), followed by White Roselle with ginger (Sample A / 321) and Chrysanthemum with ginger (Sample C / 249). In conclusion, although White Roselle lozenges were successfully developed and evaluated, Red Roselle demonstrated higher consumer acceptance. This study highlights the potential of herbal gummy lozenges as a natural alternative to conventional products. In addition, the formulation developed has demonstrated high technical and sensory viability for functional gummy lozenges, offering a promising, clean-label therapeutic alternative for soothing throat irritation.