EFFECT OF CARDAMOM AND GINGER EXTRACT ON TOFU QUALITY AND STORAGE STABILITY

Abstract

The study aimed to develop, evaluate, and assess the storage performance of flavor-enhanced herbal tofu. It investigated how different flavor additions and packaging materials (LDPE and metalized plastic) influenced the yield and sensory attributes of tofu, as well as its chemical properties (moisture, pH, peroxide value, acid value) and microbial quality (total plate count, yeast, and mold) when stored at refrigerated temperatures (4°C). Tofu was prepared by incorporating varying amounts (0.2–0.8%) of cardamom and ginger extracts separately into soymilk immediately after heat treatment. Consumer acceptability was evaluated through sensory analysis, and the resulting data were statistically analyzed using a two-way ANOVA without blocking at a 5% significance level. The most favorable samples identified were sample C (0.6% cardamom extract) and sample F (0.4% ginger extract), along with a control sample. These selected samples were then packaged in both LDPE and metalized plastic and stored under refrigeration at 4°C for further evaluation. The study examined the chemical and microbiological stability of both herbal-treated tofu and normal tofu, packaged in LDPE and metalized plastic, over a 16-day storage period at intervals of 4 days. Key parameters analyzed included moisture, pH, peroxide value, total plate count, and yeast and mold count. Results revealed that tofu treated with herbal extracts and packaged in metalized plastic exhibited a slower reduction in moisture and pH, as well as a slower increase in peroxide value, total microbial count, and yeast and mold growth compared to tofu packaged in LDPE. This indicates that metalized plastic provided superior protection and better storage stability for the tofu samples, likely due to its enhanced barrier properties against moisture and oxygen, which helped slow down spoilage and quality degradation during refrigeration.