Studies on development of instant pumpkin soup tablets and evaluation of storage stability

Abstract

A study was carried out to develop pumpkin soup tablet with enriched β-carotene which can be instantly reconstituted in hot water. Ingredients of pumpkin soup tablet namely pumpkin flour (32.5%), corn flour (19.4%), milk powder (14.5%), onion powder (3.2%), pepper powder (3.2%), coriander (1.3%), garlic (1.3%), saturated fat (6.5%) and salt (13.9%) were optimised. Maltodextrin and xanthan gum were used as emulsifier to prepare two variants of the soup cube formulations. Proximate composition, β-carotene, textural attributes and microbiological quality of the developed product were determined during storage at room temperature. Sensory acceptability of the product was evaluated by reconstituting the soup cube in hot water. The study revealed that the product was acceptable and could be reconstituted instantly in hot water. Soup tablets prepared with xanthan gum as emulsifier were superior in colour, texture and retention of β-carotene. The incorporation of pumpkin flour in soup cube enhanced its nutritional value to an extent of 50% of RDI for β-carotene. The product could be a convenient alternative for preparing an organoleptically acceptable soup instantly and thereby saving packaging cost and space.