Pengaruh Subtitusi Tepung Sorgum pada Tepung Terigu terhadap Mutu Wafel

Abstract

Wheat flour derived from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a primary raw material for bakery products. The consumption of wheat flour in Indonesia has increased significantly in line with the growth of the flour processing industry. However, wheat is still entirely imported. Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) show that Indonesia's wheat import value in 1997 reached US$776,521,000, which, under current exchange rate conditions, places a substantial burden on the country's foreign exchange reserves.

One possible strategy to reduce the increasing rate of wheat imports is through partial or total substitution with flours derived from local resources. One potential alternative is sorghum flour. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and wheat both belong to the Gramineae family but differ in subfamily classification. Sorghum belongs to the Panicoideae subfamily, while wheat belongs to the Festucoideae subfamily. Therefore, sorghum flour has relatively favorable characteristics in terms of nutritional value, rheology, and mechanical properties, making it a compatible substitute for wheat flour compared to tuber-based flours.