Development of Traditional Instant Herbal Drink Powder Using Foam-Mat Drying Technology: A Case Study of Physicochemical Characteristics Jaya Mahar Maligan(1*), Teti Estiasih(1), Erryana Martati(1), Agustina Shinta Hartati Wahyuningtyas(2)
1)Agricultural Technology Faculty, Universitas Brawijaya
2)Agriculture Faculty, Universitas Brawijaya
*maharajay[at]ub.ac.id
Abstract
This study evaluated the physicochemical characteristics of six traditional Indonesian herbal instant drinks (kunyit asam, beras kencur, sinom, wedang uwuh, wedang jahe, and wedang pokak) processed using foam-mat drying with varying maltodextrin concentrations (5, 10 and 15%) and TBM as emulsifier. Increasing maltodextrin concentration significantly enhanced powder yield, brightness (L*), and pH, while reducing redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) in several formulations. Viscosity of reconstituted drinks ranged from 1.07 to 1.22 cPs. Phytochemical analysis using UV-Vis spectrophotometry revealed that total phenolic content ranged from 51.67 to 212.10 mg GAE/g, and total flavonoid content ranged from 10.67 to 76.87 mg QE/g across samples. The highest levels were found in wedang uwuh and kunyit asam. These findings support the use of foam-mat drying as a potential method to produce traditional herbal instant powders.