The Development of Moringa oleifera Leaves Cereal Using Full Cream and Soy Milk as Fillers.

Abstract

Moringa oleifera leaves powder can be fortified to improve the nutritional values and health benefits of several food products including cereal. This research aimed to obtain an optimized formula for Moringa oleifera cereal which was produced through the wet granulating method. This powder was developed into four cereal formulas. F1 and F2 use full cream milk as filler combined with 1.5% and 2% xanthan gum respectively. F3 and F4 use a combination of full cream milk and soy milk as a filler with 1.5% and 2% xanthan gum concentration. The effect of xanthan gum concentration and type of milk also were evaluated to the physical granule characteristics, reconstituted physical and chemical characteristics, as well as the Indonesian national standard (SNI) 01-4270-199 for the cereals, were also analyzed. The four formulas performed excellent granule flow characteristics with suitable dispersion time, pH, viscosity, and flow behavior. Xanthan gum concentration, filler type, and interaction between these components significantly influenced the cereal viscosity (p < 0.05). However, formulas 2 and 4 which used 2% xanthan gum exhibited higher viscosity (333,75 cps and 305 cps) and dispersion stability (F=1). These formulas were further evaluated for cereal quality requirements based on SNI 01-4270-199 for cereals. The combination of full cream-soy milk and 2% xanthan gum exhibited a positive impact on the proximate content. Therefore, from these results, it can be concluded that Formula 4 was the recommended formula. However, these components are required to be optimized in further study to meet the SNI requirements of crude fiber, water, and fat content.