Development of Vegan Spread using Soymilk (Glycine max) & Coconut Milk (Cocos nucifera) Incorporated with Garlic (Allium sativum) and Pepper (Piper nigrum)

Abstract

There is a trend towards plant-based alternative food production. The consumption of plant-based foods is increasing due to the health benefits of plant-based proteins. This study aimed to develop a vegan spread with Soybean (Glycine max) and Coconut (Cocos nucifera) milk by adding garlic (Allium sativum) and pepper (Piper nigrum) to create a product that is flavourful and nutritious through improved nutritional and sensory properties. The Soybean was soaked and blanched before grinding, and the suspension was filtered. Soy milk was produced by adding water and soy pulp in a 2:1 ratio. The coconut kernel was scraped, and coconut milk was produced by adding water. Soy milk and coconut milk were mixed in a 1:1 ratio and heated up to 80°C. Formulation was done by adding vinegar to remove the whey after curd formation. The formulations of the samples were carefully adjusted by varying the curd and garlic content while keeping salt and pepper constant. Treatment 1 (T1) contained 93% curd and 2% garlic, while Treatment 2 (T2) had 91% curd and 4% garlic. In Treatment 3 (T3), the curd content was reduced to 89%, with 6% garlic added. Finally, Treatment 4 (T4) featured the lowest curd percentage at 87%, with the highest garlic content of 8%. Then, the product was placed into spread bottles and stored under refrigerated conditions. Four formulations were developed and subjected to sensory evaluation using a 5-point hedonic scale to determine consumer preferences in terms of aroma, colour, texture, appearance, flavour, spreadability, aftertaste, and overall acceptability. The Trial One (T1) sample received the highest scores across all sensory attributes. The four samples were evaluated by a panel of 30 untrained sensory panellists, and consumer preference scores for T1, T2, T3, and T4 were 14, 9, 5, and 2, respectively. The average values of the proximate analysis results for the selected sample of vegan spread are Moisture (44.90%), Ash (2.3%), Crude Protein (12.19%), Crude Fiber (0.0823%), Crude Fat (33.09%), Carbohydrate (7.43%), and pH (5.0). Coliform, E. coli, Total Plate Count, and Yeast and Mold tests were conducted during the 4th and 8th weeks. At the 4th week, all these tests were negative, but at the 8th week, results showed 24 Total Plate Count, 1 Yeast and Mold colony, Coliform positive result, and E. coli negative result. Moisture value increased, and pH value decreased over time. According to the results, the shelf life was determined to be 2 months. Based on the results, the selected sample (T1) is the best in terms of sensory analysis and proximate analysis. Among all formulations (T1) was found to be the best in terms of sensory analysis, nutritional analysis, and shelf-life stability.