Development of a Jackfruit-Based Vegetarian Finger Enriched with Vegetable Protein

Abstract

An attempt was made to develop a vegetarian finger (sausage) as a value added product from jackfruit. The protein content was enhanced by incorporating vegetable protein (VP) as mushroom and okara flour (by-product of soy milk manufacturing). The sausage mix was first prepared (w/w) with 60 % Jack fruit flakes (variety Fatherlong), 5 % rice flour, 5 % solid fat, and the remaining 30 % from different proportions of mushroom and okara. The product was subject to sensory evaluation and the best treatment was selected for adding the binding agent (BA) as different proportions of rice flour and soy flour to fill 5 % of the weight of sausage mix. The final product was again evaluated for its sensory attributes using 30 panellists. The new product was subject to sensory evaluation, proximate analysis, physicochemical and mechanical tests against the existing jackfruit finger formulation developed by Fruit Research and Development Institute (FRDI formulation;Control). A mixture of 25 % okara flour and 5% mushroom as VP and 70 % rice flour with 30 % soy flour as the BA (5 % w/w) was selected as the best formulation. Protein content of the new formulation was 7.73 % which was a 73 % increase compared to the control. Other nutritional, physical and mechanical properties of jackfruit finger were in the acceptable range. Microbial counts after 45 days of storage at -21°C remained below the harmful levels. However, rancidity (peroxide value of 13.19 units) exceeded the acceptable level (10 units) after 30 days of storage. Therefore, the storability of jackfruit finger should be improved.