Effectiveness of green betel leaf infusa as a natural preservative of white tofu by maintaining its sensory characteristics

Abstract

Preserving white tofu with natural ingredients was one solution due to its relatively short shelf life and prevent from the dangerous ingredients. A lack of natural ingredients usually changes the product’s sensory quality. This research aimed to utilize green betel leaf infusion as a preservative while maintaining the sensory characteristics of white tofu. The research method consisted of two stages. Preliminary research was conducted to select the concentration of 0.01%, 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.075%, 0.1%, 1%, 2% and 4% betel leaf infusion based on the sensory of taste, aroma, and color. The primary research was two factor research of selected betel leaf infusion concentrations and the storage time of the tofu at room temperature by testing total plate numbers, E. coli bacteria, and sensory and hedonic quality. The preliminary research produced the selected concentrations of 0.01%, 0.025%, and 0.05%, which had minimal effects on the taste, aroma, and color sensory. The primary research showed that the higher the concentration of betel leaf infusion, the decreased microbial growth, and the longer the storage time, the more microbes grew. However, the number of microbes in treated tofu was much lower compared to control tofu. In addition, the results showed that the higher the infusion concentration led to the lower the sensory value. However, the concentration level had no significant effect on the texture sensory. The longer storage time tended to reduce white tofu's sensory and hedonic quality, but it was still in a relatively normal condition. The E. coli bacteria was negative on white tofu. All infusion concentration treatments inhibited microbial growth, and the sensory value of white tofu can be maintained.