Abstract:  Objective: To develop a fruit vinegar beverage using pepino fruits as the raw material. Methods: Alcohol fermentation, acetic acid fermentation and beverage formulation were studied for the development of pepino fruit vinegar beverage. Results: The optimal acetic acid fermentation conditions were determined by orthogonal array design to be pH of 4.0, fermentation temperature of 30 ℃, fermentation time of 6 days, and acetic acid bacteria inoculation amount of 7%. The optimal formula of pepino fruit vinegar beverage consisted of fruit vinegar fluid of 10%, fruit vinegar sugar content of 12%, and salt addition amount of 0.4%. Conclusion: The developed fruit vinegar beverage is rich nutrients and has a balanced sweet-and-sour taste.

Key words: pepino fruit, fruit vinegar beverage, fermentation