EFFECT OF BIOLOGICAL POLYMERS MIXING RATIO ON THE PROPERTIES OF VEGAN FLAN

Abstract

Plant-based flan is made from “aquafaba” obtained from lima beans, coconut milk, and pumpkin; combined with biological polymers, including agar, gelatin, and corn starch. These ingredients can replace eggs and milk in traditional flan recipes that call for eggs and milk. The study aimed to determine the effect of the mixing ratio of biopolymers including agar, gelatin, and corn starch on the structure of plant-based flan. TPA structural properties of cakes prepared from the basic recipe (without using polymers) and five mixing recipes with the addition of polymers including agar, and corn starch with a total content of 4% (mass % of aquafaba volume) were surveyed. Pumpkin flesh was used to color the cake and was investigated at 3 levels of 25%, 35% and 45% (% wt. of aquafaba volume). The results showed that when fixing corn starch, increasing the gelatin content, and reducing the agar content within the test limit (4% wt. aquafaba volume), the cake’s structural properties was similar compared to the control cake (animal flan that uses eggs and milk). Direct determination of the shelf life was carried out after 6 days of storage at 4 - 6ºC through the total ife of five days. The results of the research can be applied to the development of vegan flan to meet the diverse needs of today's growing consumers of plant-based products.