Physicochemical Characteristics of Crackers from Kutai Kartanegara SMEs Product

Abstract

Crackers are widely recognized food items that are commonly used as snacks or accompaniments in the main course. The Kutai Kartenegara Regency boasts an ample supply of fish resources, presenting small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with promising business prospects for processing fish and shrimp into crackers. The objective of this research was to evaluate the physicochemical properties of crackers produced by SMEs using various raw materials while adhering to established standards and guidelines. The crackers offered by SMEs comprised four varieties: belida fish crackers, snakehead fish crackers, shrimp crackers, and milkfish crackers. The research data encompassed proximate parameters including color, swelling power, oil absorption capacity, and hygroscopicity. The results indicated that variations in the components of the crackers' unprocessed ingredients had a significant influence (p<0.05) on each of the examined parameters. The chemical composition was as follows: water content ranging from 9.99% to 12.91%, protein content between 6.63% and 7.90%, fat content from 1.49% to 2.63%, ash content between 2.93% and 3.92%, and carbohydrate content ranging from 73.90% to 77.52%. The values obtained for the color of the crackers ranged from 38.76 to 49.06. The capacity of the crackers to absorb oil was determined to be within the range of 28.32-45.04%. The expansion of crackers, in terms of volume ranged from 35.26% to 40.09%. The results of the 6-hour testing indicated that the hygroscopicity value fell within the range of 4.77-5.70%. Shrimp cracker samples satisfied the highest quality standards set by SNI, which corresponds to Grade II, as opposed to belida fish crackers, snakehead fish crackers, and milkfish crackers, which were classified as Grade III.