CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



87 



Sapote, Guava AND Feijoa 



The results of the examinations of the guava, sapote and feijoa re- 

 cently made at the Nutrition Laboratory are presented on Page 91. 



The data is interesting, particularly with reference to the sapotes 

 which contain about 20 per cent of sugar. Cane sugar predominates, in 

 that 12 per cent of the 20 consists of this most desirable form of sugar. 

 Two samples from different localities both show identically the same per- 

 centage of cane sugar, and the figure for invert sugar differs by less than 

 1 per cent. Two feijoas contain a much higher percentage of water and 

 less than 5 per cent of total sugar, the remainder of the carbohydrate con- 

 tent bemg starch, etc. The starch figure for the sapotes, on the other 

 hand, is less than 4 per cent. 



The nutritive value of the sapotes far exceeds that of the other fruits 

 mentioned in the table, with the exception, of course, of the avocado. This 

 is clearly shown by the following figures representing the caloric value per 

 pound of the edible portion of the fruits in question. 



Lemon Guava 224 calories per pound 



Strawberry Guava 287 calories per pound 



Sapotes 483 calories per pound 



Sapotes 440 calories per pound 



Feijoa 226 calories per pound 



Feijoa 240 calories per pound 



Sp. Cacti 244 calories per pound 



Avocado 984 calories per pound 



The harvesting and palatability, etc., have to be taken into consid- 

 eration in drawing conclusions regarding the market values of fruits and 

 other foods. It can be seen readily, however, that if there were at hand a 

 generous supply of sapotes, and this fruit met with public favor that the 

 sugar content would help in the matter of conservation of sugar which is 

 so urgently necessary at the present time. 



The records of the various chemical and physical analyses are given 

 in the following tables: 



