PENGGUNAAN BAHAN TAMBAHAN PANGAN PADA PROSES PRODUKSI GULA MERAH TEBU DI JAWA TENGAH

Abstract

Food Additive Utilization on The Production Process of Cane Brown Sugar in Central Java. Cane brown sugar is a conventional product from sugarcane processing industry that has grown for generations in Indonesia, especially in Java. Unfortunately, harmful additives are often used in this industry. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the effect of the use of additives on the quality and safety of cane brown sugar. Based on field observation in district of Rembang-Central Java, the utilization of food additives was divided into three, i.e.: (1) the addition of calcium oxide, (2) the combination of calcium oxide and sugar, and (3) the combination of calcium oxide, sugar, and sodium bicarbonate. The parameters that was observed including chemical characteristics (moisture, protein, fat, reduced sugar, sucrose) as well as physical characteristics (hardness, color and pH), while the safety parameters was observed based on calcium residues and microbial analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA. The results showed that combination of calcium oxide with sugar and sodium bicarbonate affects the product quality such as protein content, sucrose, pH, color, and hardness. However, the utilization of food additives can not fixed the quality of brown sugar. In term of food safety, the replenishment of sodium bicarbonate after boiling process showed a significant enhancement on the amount of total microorganism in brown sugar. The addition of sugar and sodium bicarbonate into the formulation also showed an increasing of calcium residues, which is feared could endanger consumer health.