Kinetics of Quality Change of Carotenoids-rich Fat Powder Made From Red Palm Oil

Abstract

Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) has been a serious problem in Indonesia and the underlying cause is a diet which is insufficient in vitamin A. Food fortification is one of the strategy that can be implemented in Indonesia to reduce the burden of VAD and to improve vitamin A intake. Red palm oil, Indonesia’s abundant natural resource rich in carotenoids, is very potential to be used as food fortificant. Red palm oil can be used by direct addition to food product or by transforming it into carotenoids-rich fat powder before use. This study was to investigate the kinetics of quality changes of carotenoids-rich fat powder during storage and to determine the product shelf life, using Arrhenius accelerated method. Samples of fat powder were stored at 26C (ambient/room temperature) and at elevated temperatures of 35C, 40C, and 55C for 30 days, and samples were taken and analyzed every 5 days. As a reference, samples of fat powder were also stored at refrigeration of 12C. The results showed that fat powder underwent (i) some color changes, (ii) increase in free fatty acid and peroxide value, and (iii) decrease in carotene content and powder flowability. With carotene tolerance 50% of initial carotene, carotenoids-rich fat powder can be stored for 3 months and 11 days at ambient/room temperature with light protection.