Formulation, nutrient analysis and shelf life study of watermelon, pumpkin and jamun seeds incorporated in indian snack murukku

Abstract

Nutritive snacks are supportive to people in their busy lifestyle. Seeds are used in major food resources like cereals and legumes since they are rich in protein, starch, oil, and many other micronutrients. The present study incorporates powdered watermelon seed, pumpkin seed, and jamun seed in Indian snack murukku to supply these nutrients to consumers, as these seeds are ignored by many even though they are found in enormous amounts. Besides murukku, the largely consumed savories are low in protein and mineral content. In the traditional Murukku recipe, instead of dhal, powdered seeds were added in 5 different proportions for 100 g of rice powder. Watermelon seed powder and pumpkin seed powder were added in 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%, and jamun seed powder in 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%. Jamun seeds were used in lesser quantities due to their sour taste. The standard and formulated products were analyzed for their sensory attributes using a 9-point hedonic scale. Nutritive values, protein, and energy levels of the products were analyzed using the Kjeldahl procedure and Bomb calorimeter, respectively. The iron content was analyzed using the AOAC method. Shelf life stability of the highest-scored product and the standard was done for a period of 30 days using microbial analysis and sensory analysis. A cost analysis was made to test and popularize the product among students aged 11 to 13 in RVS School, Sulur, Tamil Nadu, India. It was found that the 20% watermelon and pumpkin seedincorporated murukku scored the highest among the variations. In jamun seed incorporation, 2% addition scored the highest. The selected products had similar sensory attributes and shelf lives as the standard product at an affordable cost.