Acceptability of malunggay (Moringa oleifera) and squash (Cucurbita moschata) cookies.

The dried leaf powder of malunggay (Moringa oleifera) contains an excellent nutritional value, and this tropical plant is widely available in the Philippines. On the other hand, squash (Cucurbita moschata) is an incredibly beneficial food with high amounts of vitamins. The nutrients from Malunggay and squash can help prevent deficiencies in children. The main focus of the research was to determine the acceptability of the different formulations of M. oleifera and C. moschata cookies. The study determined the most preferred cookie formulation based on sensory evaluation using descriptive testing of the product's appearance, aroma, taste, sweetness, texture, and acceptability rating of the formulations. The respondents were 20 food experts and 40 non-experts. The Analysis of Variance was used to examine the statistical significance of mean differences among the distinct groups. Subsequently, Tukey's Honest Significant Difference (HSD) test was employed to ascertain the significance of differences between pairs of group means, providing a more nuanced understanding of the variations observed within these groups. Results showed that among the three cookie formulations, F3 got the highest mean score of the different attributes, namely appearance (x = 4.45; x = 4.6) aroma (x = 4.9; x = 4.7), taste (x = 4.95; x = 4.93), sweetness (x = 4.9; x =4.75), and texture (x = 4.8; x = 4.68), as perceived by the expert and non-expert, respectively. This implies that respondents prefer cookie formulation F3 over the two other formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]