Optimation of microorganism level of semi-solid emergency food based on denaturated whey protein concentrate (WPC) with different mineral concentration and sterilization levels

Abstract

When post-disaster conditions occur, the problem of food procurement becomes a critical factor which able to disrupt the fulfillment of nutrition for the society, especially children. Procurement of emergency food products is one solution that can be offered to meet daily energy for the victims in need. The raw material for making emergency food products that can be used is denatured Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC), as a source of protein, sweet potato flour as a source of carbohydrates and mineral mix as a determinant of the texture and power of product acceptance. Emergency food products are also incidental, so they require a long shelf life, and sterilization is one way that can be done to extend the shelf life of food products. The factors tested in this study included protein levels, mineral levels, and the level of sterilization with the number of microorganisms as the response variable. The optimal combination of factors tested will produce the minimum number of microorganisms. This study aims to analyze and evaluate the combination of material formulations and sterilization rates using the analytical data from Response Surface Methode (RSM) with a validation of single objective optimization method in order to have a minimum number of microorganisms to meet the nutritional needs that are incidental. Based on the response surface analysis, the optimum formula of semi-emergency food was 11.6% protein content; added 4% mineral mix; and sterilized at 8.09 D log cycle.