Diversifying yoghurt into soft candy may improve product convenience, while the use of Arenga palm sugar can modify its chemical and sensory characteristics compared with granulated sugar. This study aimed to characterize sappanwood yoghurt soft candy prepared with different ratios of granulated sugar and Arenga palm sugar and to identify the most preferred formulation. Four treatments were evaluated: P0 (100% granulated sugar:0% palm sugar), P1 (75%:25%), P2 (50%:50%), and P3 (0%:100%). Yoghurt was prepared from full-cream UHT milk with 0.1% sappanwood extract and subsequently processed into soft candy using gelatin and glucose syrup. Chemical analyses included moisture content and reducing sugar, while sensory evaluation comprised scoring tests for color, characteristic yoghurt aroma, characteristic palm sugar aroma, sweetness, characteristic palm sugar sweetness, texture, and overall hedonic acceptance by 25 semi-trained panelists. Sensory data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by an LSD test when significant. Increasing palm sugar proportion was accompanied by an increase in moisture content from 22.7% to 28.3% and reducing sugar from 16.7% to 20.8%. Sugar formulation had a highly significant effect on color, characteristic yoghurt aroma, characteristic palm sugar aroma, characteristic palm sugar sweetness, texture, and overall acceptance, and a significant effect on sweetness. P2 showed the highest overall acceptance score (6.28; 'like'), with a brown color, moderate yoghurt aroma, noticeable palm sugar aroma and flavor, sweet taste, and chewy texture. All treatments exceeded the maximum moisture content specified in SNI 3547.2-2008, while reducing sugar remained below the 25% maximum limit. A 50:50 ratio of granulated sugar and Arenga palm sugar provided the best sensory balance under the conditions of this study.
Keywords
Arenga palm sugar, moisture content, reducing sugar, sappanwood, soft candy, yoghurt