Formulation and Sensory Evaluation of Herb Tea from Moringa oleifera, Hibiscus sabdariffa and Cymbopogon citratus

Abstract

The sensory appeal of tea, like all food products, is an important consideration in new product de-velopment. Tea in general and herb tea in particular are gaining increasing consumer attention due to a growing awareness of health benefits derived from their consumption. Even though sev-eral underutilized plants exist with potential for processing into herb tea, research in product de-velopment of herb teas is limited. The objectives of the study were to conduct acceptance tests on herb tea prepared from formulations of three indigenous herbs: Moringa oleifera, Hibiscus sab-dariffa and Cymbopogon citratus. Fifty (50) untrained panelists conducted acceptance tests on infusions from nine formulations and one control. Herb tea brewed from product code- 532, composed of 50% Moringa, 30% roselle and 20% lemon grass, was the most preferred in colour, fla-vour, astringency and overall sensory properties while the control made up of 100% Moringa brewed the least preferred herb tea in most of the sensory attributes