PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF TOMATO SAUCE (Solanum lycopersicum) WITH TORCH GINGER (Etlingera elatior) SUBSTITUTION

Tomato sauce is one of the products made from a mixture of tomatoes processed into
a paste with several other food ingredients to create the flavor in tomato sauce. In making
functional tomato sauce, other ingredients can be added that can increase the nutrients of the
sauce. Torch ginger is a plant that has quite high antioxidant activity and considered a plant
source that is rich in natural anthocyanins. Adding torch ginger to food ingredients can
increase antioxidant activity, which can be beneficial. This study should be done to
determine the physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics of tomato sauce with the
addition of torch ginger. This sauce is expected to have good nutrients and compounds to
provide health benefits to consumers because most of the sauces have low nutrient content
and antioxidant activity values. The addition of torch ginger to tomato sauce can increase
the added value of torch ginger as a new business starter that the market can accept. In
developing a new business, it is necessary to determine the production cost.
This research employed a completely randomized design (CRD) with a single factor
and five levels of treatment, namely K1 (25 mL of torch ginger puree: 225 mL tomato puree),
K2 (50 mL of torch ginger puree: 200 mL tomato puree), K3 (75 mL of torch ginger puree:
175 mL tomato puree), K4 (100 mL of torch ginger puree: 150 mL tomato puree), and K5
(125 mL of torch ginger puree: 125 mL tomato puree). The treatment was repeated 3 times,
resulting in 15 experimental units. Physical test parameters were viscosity, color, moisture
content, texture and chemical parameters such as antioxidant activity, anthocyanin content,
TSS, total acids, vitamin C, ash, protein, and fiber. Sensory attributes including viscosity,
color, aroma, taste, and overall were tested on 25 panelists. Data on physical and chemical
observations were analyzed using ANOVA with a significance level of 5%. Results that
showed a significant effect were further analyzed using DMRT. Organoleptic test was
analyzed by Friedman Test non-parametric statistics. The t-test is used to determine whether
there is a significant difference between the control sample and the best sample.
Determination of PC of torch ginger tomato sauce was carried out using variable method
costing.
Result showed that the addition of torch ginger significantly affected the physical
parameters of tomato sauce, namely moisture content, color (lightness, b*, hue angle, and
Chroma), and texture (cohesiveness), but had no significant effect on viscosity, color (a*),
and texture (springiness and gumminess). Adding torch ginger increased the moisture
content, color value, and texture of tomato sauce but decreased the viscosity value. The
addition of torch ginger significantly affected the chemical parameters of tomato sauce,
namely antioxidant activity, anthocyanins, vitamin C, total soluble solids, ash, and protein,
but had no significant effect on the total acid and fiber of tomato sauce. The addition of torch
ginger increased antioxidant activity, Anthocyanin, vitamin C, total acid, ash, protein, and
fiber, but decreased tomato sauce's total soluble solids value. The organoleptic test stated
that the assessment of preference for sauce thickness was highest in the treatment of adding
50 ml of torch ginger puree. The sauce's most preferred color and aroma was adding 75 ml
torch ginger puree, and the most preferred taste was adding 125 ml torch ginger puree.
Adding 25 ml torch ginger puree is the highest-ranked sauce treatment. The cost of
Production of tomato sauce with the addition of torch ginger was IDR 10,235.15, and the
selling price with a profit of 10% was IDR 11,258.66.
(Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of
Bengkulu)