Development of Spirulina-Added Gel and Its Sensory and Physiochemical Properties Evaluation

Wong, Chu Er (2026) Development of Spirulina-Added Gel and Its Sensory and Physiochemical Properties Evaluation. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

Text Wong Chu Er_Full Text.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (1MB)

Abstract

The growing demand for functional foods has driven interest in incorporating microalgae into novel food formats. This study aimed to develop a spirulina-added gel and evaluate its sensory and physicochemical properties across three formulation levels: a control (0% spirulina), G3A (0.5% spirulina), and G3B (1.0% spirulina) per 50 g serving. Spirulina-added gel was formulated using chia seed gel, pea protein isolate, MCT oil powder, xanthan gum, maltodextrin, citric acid, sucralose, and passion fruit flavouring. Each formulation was subjected to proximate and nutritional analysis, physicochemical analysis (colour, pH, Brix, viscosity, syneresis, water activity, antioxidant activity, and mineral content), and sensory evaluation using a 9-point hedonic scale with 35 untrained panelists. Results demonstrated that spirulina added had significantly improve the nutritional profile of the gel in a concentration-dependent manner, with progressive increases in crude protein (0.69% to 0.80%), total dietary fibre (2.14% to 2.24%), crude ash, and total energy content. Antioxidant capacity also improved markedly, with DPPH radical scavenging activity increasing from 36.63% to 53.40% in G3B. Physicochemical analysis revealed that spirulina raised pH, increased Brix values and viscosity, and significantly reduced syneresis over 7-day refrigerated storage, indicating improved gel stability. Colour analysis confirmed a progressively deeper green coloration with increasing spirulina concentration. Sensory evaluation indicated that G3B achieved the highest scores for taste, aroma, and overall acceptability (7.11 ± 1.53), and was the most preferred formulation by 46% of panellists. Acceptability indices of 71.44% and 79.00% for G3A and G3B respectively exceeded the commercial viability threshold of ≥70%. The findings demonstrate that 1.0% spirulina is the optimal concentration for balancing nutritional enhancement with sensory acceptability in a gel-based functional food format.