Effect of Incorporation of Carrot Powder in Wheat Flour Essay Example

noodles and instant noodles. Instant noodles have extra ingredients and nutrients like iron, calcium, and vitamin A added to improve their nutritional content and appeal to consumers. These instant noodles come in different flavors such as spinach, chicken, and vegetables. However, there have been no studies conducted on the addition of these nutrients and flavors to stick noodles. The main objective of this research is to create a noodle enriched with vitamin A and analyze its chemical composition.

Materials and methods: The noodle making process involved the use of wheat flour, carrot powder, and salt as raw materials. We created five samples of stick noodles, each designated with a different letter. Sample A had 0% carrot powder and 100% wheat flour, sample B had 5% carrot powder and 95% wheat flour, sample C had 10% carrot powder and 90% wheat flour, sample D had 15% carrot powder and 85% wheat flour, while sample E contained 20% carrot powder and 80% wheat flour.

To ensure the quality of the wheat flour, we sifted it through a fine sieve screen for cleaning purposes. Additionally, fresh carrots were washed with potable water, sliced, and then dried at a temperature of approximately 100±2 ? C for a duration of six hours.

The dried carrots were ground into powder using a grinder. Salt was also purchased from a nearby market. The entire process included cleaning and sifting the raw materials, combining them with water, kneading the mixture, shaping it into sheets, slicing it into pieces, drying it, and ultimately packaging it. Additionally, the raw materials were weighed and mixed by hand.

1% of salt was added to the mixture and 33% of water was

mixed with the flour. The dough was kneaded by hand and left for 30 minutes. Next, it was passed through rollers to create a sheet, which was then cut into strips using a cutter. The noodles were dried in a room with low humidity for 3 days before being sun-dried for 1 hour.

The products were packed in a plastic bag to prevent moisture absorption and extend shelf-life. A sensory evaluation was conducted on the five noodle samples. Ten panelists were asked to rate the quality attributes (color, flavor, texture, and taste) in order of preference using a 9-point Hedonic rating test described by Ranganna (1994). Chemical analyses were performed on the best sample from the sensory evaluation. The moisture content and ash content were determined according to the AOAC method (1995). Fat, crude fiber, and protein content were determined using the method described by Ranganna (1994). Vitamin content was determined using HPLC as prescribed by the Pharmacopeia (1985).

Physical property tests were conducted on the product, including length, color, edge, and thickness. The cooking quality of the product was evaluated using Poudyal's methodology from 1988, which assessed cooking time, water absorption capacity, volume expansion, and cooking loss.

The moisture content of the wheat flour was determined to be 12.2%, while its gluten content measured at 10%.

The noodles' quality relies on using wheat flour containing 10-12% gluten. Insufficient gluten may cause the noodles to break. Furthermore, the moisture level of the carrot powder was determined to be 9.5%. Among the various products tested, Sample A, with 5% carrot powder, achieved the highest score in terms of quality attributes. However, apart from product D (with

20% carrot powder), there were no significant differences in quality attributes among the other products.

According to Nepal Standard (p=0.05), the moisture content of stick noodle should not be higher than 12.5%. Both types of noodle meet this requirement, and there is no significant difference in moisture content between them.

The stick noodle should have a minimum protein content of 8% on a dry basis. The plain noodle had a measured protein content of 10.2%, while the carrot noodle had a measured protein content of 10.3%.

The protein content in carrot is minimal, resulting in a negligible difference compared to other sources. Fat plays a crucial role in providing energy, and both plain noodle and carrot noodle have 0.6% fat content. However, the plain noodle lacks any fiber content at all.

The fiber content in carrot is high, with a value of 35%, while that of carrot noodle is only 0.7%.