Journal of Advances in Food Science & Technology

Growing consumer preference for natural additives over synthetic components has influenced formulation strategies for food products across industries. Confectionery is among the industries that have faced considerable pressure to reformulate products. This study investigated the extraction of pigments from dehydrated leaf powder of Hibiscus sabdariffa var. rubra and its use in hard candy as a natural colouring agent. Traditional solvent extraction was carried out using 50% ethanol (v/v) acidified with 0.2%, 0.5%, and 2.0% (w/v) citric acid at a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:15 (w/v), 32°C, for 60 minutes, followed by refrigerated centrifugation at 6000 rpm for 15 minutes. The supernatant obtained with 2.0% citric acid was analysed for total phenolic content (TPC) using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, total anthocyanin content (TAC) using the pH-differential method (AOAC Official Method 2005.02), and free-radical-scavenging activity using the DPPH assay. The values obtained were 58.0 mg GAE/100 mL for TPC, 55.66 mg CGE/100 mL for TAC, and DPPH inhibition of 76.67%. The selected supernatant was then added to the hard candy syrup after boiling to minimise exposure to high processing temperatures. Colour analysis of the final candy was carried out using CIE L*a*b* colorimetry, yielding values of L* = 48.19, a* = 0.19, b* = 8.98, and ΔE (Hunter) = 0.35, indicating a homogeneous product with amber-orange colouration. The total anthocyanin content of the hard candy was 19.46 mg CGE/100 g, indicating that anthocyanin pigments remained detectable in the finished product. Sensory evaluation using a 9-point hedonic scale indicated favourable scores for all evaluated attributes.