Alternative Use of Modified Cassava Flour (Mocaf) as Carrier of Natural Folic Acid in Infant Biscuits for Complementary Feeding

Modified cassava flour (mocaf) is an alternative food ingredient used in preparation of biscuits as a binder and a carrier of folic acid fortificant. This work aimed to evaluate the mocaf addition with natural folic acid fortificants in two infant biscuit formulations. Mocaf was added at concentration of 0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2, and 2.4% (w/w, control formula of infant biscuit) with folic acid fortificant A (mixture of nixtamalized corn, soy tempeh and fermented broccoli) and B (mixture of nixtamalized corn, mung beans tempeh and fermented broccoli). The optimum condition was achieved at mocaf concentration of 0.3% and resulted in infant biscuits A and B with folic acid content of 212.23 µg/mL and 438.74 µg/mL, dissolved protein 27.41 mg/mL and 28.88 mg/mL, total sugars of 358.20 mg/mL and 322.72 mg/mL, reducing sugars of 35.10 mg/mL and 39.78 mg/mL, total solids of 94.82% and 92.43%, respectively. The formulations of biscuits A and B increased folic acid content by 80.05% and 199.55% compared to the counterpart without mocaf addition. The predominant folic acid monomers had molecular weight of 442 m/z. Volatile compounds were identified as acetic acid, furan, and fatty acids. Biscuits A and B displayed average particle size of 69.07 μm and 69.78 μm with hardness of 8.44 N and 16.94 N, and lightness of 35.68 and 36.86, respectively.