Development of Instant Freeze Dried Sweet Potato Oat Porridge with Red Lentils

Koo, Le Jie (2026) Development of Instant Freeze Dried Sweet Potato Oat Porridge with Red Lentils. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

Text Koo Le Jie_Full Text.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (11MB)

Abstract

This project was conducted to develop an instant freeze dried sweet potato oat porridge with red lentils, intended as a convenient and easy to transport food product for rural communities in Malaysia. The formulation utilized sweet potato, rolled oats, red lentils, full-cream milk powder, honey and salt. Two formulations were prepared: a control sample without lentils and one incorporating 12 g of red lentils (Formulation 1). Both were subjected to proximate composition, physicochemical and reconstitution properties analysis, followed by sensory evaluation. In proximate composition analysis, formulation 1 (F1) demonstrated significantly higher (p < 0.05) moisture, crude protein, and ash contents, along with lower carbohydrate and energy values compared to the control, while crude fat showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). In addition, F1 contained higher dietary fiber than the control. Physicochemical analysis revealed that F1 exhibited significantly higher water activity and Brix values (p < 0.05), while no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in color parameters (L*, a*, b*) and pH. Reconstitution analysis further showed that Formulation 1 had greater bulk and tapped densities but displayed reduced solubility and slower dispersibility. Despite these differences, the Hausner ratio suggested comparable flowability between the two formulations. Furthermore, sensory evaluation showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the control and F1 for the appearance, color, aroma, texture, aftertaste, and overall acceptability. However, the taste was rated significantly higher (p < 0.05) for F1 and the preference test further indicated most panelists favored F1. Overall, adding red lentils enhanced the nutritional value and taste of the instant sweet potato–oat porridge while maintaining overall sensory quality. As a freeze-dried powder, it is lightweight, easy to transport and convenient to prepare.