RESUMEN
Lack of appetite is a common problem in elderly people which could lead to the risk of malnutrition. Soup-based product formulation and supplementation for the elderly is an interesting and convenient way to maintain nutritional status. Hence, this study aims to develop ready-to-eat (RTE) soup and instant soup powder using common agricultural commodities. The results indicated that among all formulations, the F7 formula comprised brown rice (15 g), pumpkin (32.5 g), sweetcorn (12.5 g), red tilapia (17.5 g), rice bran oil (1.0 g), and water (21.5 g) with energy ratio (C:P:F) of 58:23:20 receiving the highest sensory scores. The selected formulation (F7) was also transformed into instant powder and both RTE soup and instant powder were evaluated for nutritional composition and storage stabilities at 5 °C and 25 °C, respectively. The nutritional composition analyses indicate that 100 g of RTE soup consists of 13.8 g carbohydrates, 4.9 g proteins, 1.8 g fats, and 1.5 g dietary fibers; the soup is also a rich source of antioxidants and ß-carotene. Storage studies suggested that the content of ß-carotene and antioxidant activity of both (ready-to-eat and instant powder) types of soup decreased with increasing storage time, while a slight increase in yeast and mold count (<50 cfu/g) was noted. Most importantly, no pathogenic bacteria were detected in ready-to-eat and instant soup during the storage study of 6 weeks at 5 °C and 6 months at 25 °C, respectively. In terms of the high nutritional composition and functional value of the product, 4 weeks of storage at 5 °C and 4 months of storage at room temperature were suggested for ready-to-eat and instant powder soup product, respectively.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Different ratios of combined sweeteners were modified to produce an acceptable reduced-calorie carrot juice. Various hydrocolloids were investigated to improve juice cloud stability. Changes in juice quality attributes were analysed. RESULTS: A combination of the sweeteners aspartame (ASP), acesulfame potassium (ACE) and sucralose (SUC) was partially used to replace the sugar in carrot juice. Sensory studies indicated that juice containing 50 g kg(-1) sucrose and 160 mg kg(-1) ASP/ACE/SUC (6:1.5:1) had the highest acceptability. Thermal processing at 80 °C for 1 min retained acceptable ß-carotene (4300 µg kg(-1) ) and did not result in the cooked flavour noted at 65 °C/30 min. Pectin (PE), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), guar gum (GU) and gellan gum (GE) were used to stabilise the juice cloud during storage. The addition of 0.1-0.3 g kg(-1) GE or 2.0 g kg(-1) GU to reduced-calorie carrot juice greatly improved cloud stability after storage at 4 °C for 30 days. CONCLUSION: The formulation of reduced-calorie carrot juice with ASP/ACE/SUC (6:1.5:1) provided synergistic sweetness and highly acceptable sensory properties. The addition of 0.3 g kg(-1) GE greatly enhanced juice cloud stability during storage.