Characteristic Of Coconut Milk PowderMade By Variation Of Coconut-Water Ratio, Concentration Of Tween And Guar Gum

Background: Coconut milk plays important role in Asian traditional foods. The milk is the natural oil inwater emulsion extracted from mature coconut’s endosperm. In order to extend its retention period, then one of the efforts is to make it into a powder. The quality of coconut milk powder, particularly the emulsion conditions of the powdered coconut which is reconstituted in the aqueous system, is suspected to be influenced by factors affecting the initial liquid milk emulsion conditions before powder is made. Objective: The objective of the present work is to evaluate the effect of addition of emulsifier, stabilizer, and ratio of coconnut : water in the production of coconut milk, on the quality of the coconut milk powder. The qualities analyzed include water content, wetting time dispersion time, bulk density, as well as particle size. Results: Research showed that increased levels of water in the extraction process of coconut milk (coconut-water ratio of 1: 1 and 1: 2) will enhance the continuous phase in coconut milk emulsion system, therefore contributes to rising the levels of water content, lowering the wettability, decreasing the dispersion time, as well as lowering bulk density of the coconut milk powder. The increasing percentage of Tween from 0.5 to 1% w/w will increase the stability of coconut milk emulsion, therefore the ratio of coconut:water will give impact to the wettability and dispersion time of the powder. It also tended to decrease the bulk density by decreasing the size of emulsion droplet (except int the percentage of guar gum 0% w/w). Increased percentage of 0-1% w/w guar gum tends to increase the stability of the emulsion, increase the thickness and the total solids, so the impact is on the declining water content and wetting time of the coconut milk powder. Dispersion time of the powder made by guar gum higher than (1% w/w) will decrease because guar gum can increasi agglomeration of droplet emulsion of coconut milk powder in water. Guar gum tended to decrease the bulk density by increasing emulsion viscosity. Conclusions: It can be inferred that the ratio between coconut and water during coconut milk extraction, percentage of tween, and percentage of guar gum used in coconut milk powder preparation have effect in water content, wetting time dispersion time, bulk density, as well as particle size and appearance after being dissolved again in water.