Cool! Master of Food Technology, FTP Unud Students, Develop Functional Foods Instant Powder of Butterfly pea Flower with Encapsulation Technique
A student of the Master of Food Technology Study Program, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Udayana University (FTP Unud), namely Putu Ayu Gaudiya Waisnawi conducted research related to the manufacture of instant powder of Butterfly pea flower with encapsulation technique. The research on the development of this instant powdered Butterfly pea flower was guided by Dr. Gusti Ayu Kadek Diah Puspawati, S.TP., M.Sc. and Dr. Ir. Luh Putu Wrasiati, M.P.
This product development research is thought to be because the Butterfly pea flower has begun to be developed and used into food products such as being used for natural dyes, herbal teas, and beverages. Butterfly pea flower herbal tea in the form of dried flowers in the community has begun to be developed, but the practicality in its presentation is still not optimal so the solution for this is to use it as an instant powder that can provide a solution to the practicality of its use.
One way to increase the practicality of serving herbal drinks which are functional foods is to make them into instant powder with encapsulation technique using foam-mat drying method. Encapsulation is a process that is able to maintain the physical, chemical, and biological properties of an active compound or core material by coating it in a coating material. In addition, encapsulation can facilitate material handling by converting the form of the material from a liquid to a solid such as from herbal drinks to instant powder. The purpose of using the encapsulation technique is to maintain antioxidant bioactive components such as anthocyanins found in Butterfly pea flowers so that the instant powder produced still contains these components.
Putu Ayu Gaudiya Waisnawi who is familiarly called Gaudiya said for product development through research carried out using encapsulation techniques to get instant powder of Butterfly pea flower which contains total phenols and antioxidants that are beneficial to health for the prevention of degenerative diseases such as blood vessel damage, coronary artery blockage and aging. Early, he also added that this instant powder of Butterfly pea flower can be used as a solution and alternative for functional food to maintain shelf life and make it easier/practical in serving, she said.