Characteristics of physical, chemical, and organoleptic properties of inulin-enriched pudding as a complementary food

Abstract

The products for complementary feeding circulating in the market are in the form of baby porridge, biscuits, and powdered milk. The functional food product to support the growth and development of children under five in the pudding form, which is made from skim milk as the raw ingredient and modified cassava flour (mocaf) as the supporting ingredient and enriched with inulin that acts to increase calcium absorption, is not yet on the market. The development of this product is expected to meet the nutritional requirements of infants aged 12-36 months. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics (chemical, physical, and organoleptic properties) of the inulin-enriched pudding. The pudding was made using four formulas; i.e., F1 (10% db mocaf and 0.8 g/100 ml inulin), F2 (10% db mocaf and 1.6 g/100 ml inulin), F3 (15% db mocaf and 0.8 g/100 ml inulin), and F4 (15% db mocaf and 1.6 g/100 ml inulin). The results of this study showed that the best pudding for complementary feeding based on the characteristics of physical properties was F2 which had a gel strength of 843.03 g Force and a syneresis of 7.78%. The F2's organoleptic properties were as follows: milky white color, distinctive aroma of milk, a rather sweet taste, and soft textured. Besides that, the contribution of one serving of F2 pudding to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of children aged 1-3 years was as follows: 2.46 g of protein, 1.67 g of fat, 8.11 g of carbohydrates, and 57.32 kcal of energy.