The improvement of nutrition quality and organoleptic characteristics of Indonesian milkfish meatball by adding kelor (Moringa oleifera Lam) leaves

Abstract

The awareness on healthier foods has increased in the past decades. Therefore, the incorporation of healthier ingredients which are rich in phytochemicals beneficial for health is also drawing huge attention by food technologists worldwide. Kelor (Moringa oleifera) leaves are highly valued as food with high nutritional value, and regarded as supplement of protein and calcium besides containing phytochemicals, glucosinalates and isothyiocyanates. The aim of the present work was to improve the protein, calcium, and fibre contents and organoleptic characteristics of milkfish (Chanos chanos) meatballs. Organoleptic test, and protein, calcium and fibre content measurements were therefore conducted to evaluate the resulting milkfish meatballs with and without the addition of kelor leaves. Results obtained showed that the addition of kelor leaves increased calcium but decreased the protein content of milkfish meatballs. Boiled treatment reduced the protein content of milkfish meatballs but increased the fibre content. For all the organoleptic characteristics tested, original milkfish meatballs were more acceptable than samples with the addition of kelor leaves. Among the addition treatments for boiled and unboiled leaves, milkfish meatballs added with 10% boiled kelor leaves were the most accepted by panellists with colour, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptance scores of 2.65, 3.20, 2.88, 2.87 and 2.85, respectively. For future development and further investigation, it was henceforth suggested that the kelor leaves could be replaced with a mixture of tapioca flour and kelor leaves together with the addition of gelling agent which could further improve the texture of kelor milkfish meatballs.