Organoleptic Characteristics and Nutritional Content of Wet Noodles Substituted with Banggai Yam and Moringa Flour

Abstract

Wet noodles are a boiled noodle product with a moisture content of approximately 35%. Wet noodles are rich in carbohydrates, several minerals, and energy, but their protein, fat, and vitamin contents are relatively low; their nutritional value can therefore be improved by incorporating Banggai yam and moringa leaves. This study aimed to produce Banggai yam and moringa leaf flour, develop wet noodle formulations, evaluate their organoleptic characteristics, and analyze the nutritional composition of the selected formulation. An experimental study using a completely randomized design was conducted from February to October 2020 at the Culinary and Organoleptic Laboratories, Nutrition Study Program, Widya Nusantara School of Health Sciences, Palu, while proximate and dietary fiber analyses were performed at Saraswanti Indo Genetech (SIG), Bogor, West Java. The Banggai yam flour produced was white and resembled wheat flour. Three formulations were prepared using different ratios of Banggai yam flour, moringa leaf flour, and wheat flour: 45%:15%:40% (F1), 50%:10%:40% (F2), and 55%:5%:40% (F3). Based on a hedonic test with 30 semi-trained panelists, formulation F2 was selected as the most preferred. The selected formulation contained 103.30 kcal energy, 4.30% protein, 1.14% fat, 18.96% carbohydrate, 0.39% ash, 25.21% moisture, and 3.86% dietary fiber, meeting the wet noodle quality requirements of the Indonesian National Standard (SNI 01-2987-1992).