Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Technologia Alimentaria

Background. Red palm olein (RPO) is known for its high carotenoid content. Dietary intake of foods rich in carotenoids is important in combating vitamin A deficiency, which affects many children. Children are com­monly fond of confectionery paste. However, most commercial confectionery pastes are made from solid fats that do not contain carotenoids. RPO is liquid at room temperature and therefore requires modification into a solid fat form through an oleogelation process – producing RPO oleogel – for application in confectionery paste products. This research aims to determine the optimal formula of RPO oleogel-based confectionery paste with physical characteristics resembling commercial products. It also aims to evaluate its Rate-All- -That-Apply (RATA) sensory profile, child sensory preference, chemical composition, total carotenoid con­tent, and contribution to recommended dietary allowance (RDA).
Material and methods. The research method involved optimization of RPO oleogel-based confectionery paste formula using a D-optimal mixture design in the Design-Expert 13.0 program, and characterization of the optimal formula using RATA sensory profiling, hedonic rating tests, proximate analysis, and RDA estimation.
Results. Optimization of RPO oleogel-based confectionery paste using Mixture Design D-optimal in De­sign-Expert 13.0 produced an optimal formula of 23.6% RPO oleogel and 17.4% CBS, with a viscosity value of 7096.36 mPa·s, a total carotenoid content of 210.864 mg/kg, and an oiling-out value of 56.04 cm2, yield­ing a desirability value of 0.760. The optimal formula has a sensory profile with low intensity of fatty flavor, sticky mouthfeel, and oily aftertaste, and a child preference level of 62% rating it as “very liked”. Based on the proximate analysis, the optimal formula contains 1.09% moisture, 1.75% ash, 44.29% total fat, 4.60% protein, and 48.27% carbohydrates. A 10 g serving of optimal RPO oleogel-based confectionery paste pro­vides 60 kcal total energy, 40 kcal from fat, 5% of daily fat, 0% of daily protein, 2% of daily carbohydrates, and can meet 12.15% of the daily vitamin A requirement for children aged 7 to 12 years.
Conclusion. The optimal formula of RPO oleogel-based confectionery paste exhibits physical properties such as viscosity and oiling-out behavior that are similar to those of commercial products. The Rate-All- -That-Apply (RATA) sensory profile, child acceptability, chemical composition, total carotenoids, and RDA contribution of the optimal formula have been successfully determined.