Incorporation of Red Seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii) improves the Sensory Quality of Soft Milky Candy

Abstract

Seaweed species mainly Kappaphycus is one of the sources of carrageenan in the world market and is locally abundant in the country. Fresh red seaweeds (Kappaphycus alvarezii) were used in the development of healthy sweetened food delicacy. This study aimed to develop sweetened soft milky candies with seaweed as an ingredient to improve the sensory and microbial qualities. Seaweed-based soft milky candy was evaluated on its sensory quality, moisture content and total plate count. Different levels of seaweed (10%, 20%, 30% and 40%; w/w) were substituted to obtain seaweed-incorporated mixture and mixture without seaweed served as the control. The addition of 10% to 40% seaweed on the sensory quality of the product was moderately acceptable regarding its odor, taste, texture and general acceptability. Moisture content increases with days of storage but not affected by the amount of seaweed incorporated. Mold growth was observed on samples added with 30% and 40% seaweed stored after three days with total plate count of 4.24 log CFU/g to 4.32 log CFU/g. Increasing seaweed concentration up to 20% produces softer candies and is safe to the consumer for three days when stored at room temperature without changes in its sensory and microbial quality.