Utilization of Okara in Food Technology: Innovations in Okara Energy Bar Formulation

Abstract

Energy bars are healthy, convenient snacks that provide sufficient nutrients. Energy bars are dense foods where fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are the main sources of calories. Okara has not been fully exploited as an important food source for human consumption in Malaysia. Okara is a major by-product of the soy milk industry that remains after soy milk extraction. Currently, okara is widely used as animal feed and natural fertilizer. Although okara is a rich source of nutrients, it has not been fully utilized as an important food source. The nutritional value of okara is quite high, where dried okara consists of fat (10%), protein (24%), dietary fiber (52.3%), ash (4%), and vitamins. The establishment of the Okara Energy Bar aims to innovate an energy bar product made from okara flour, providing energy bars that contain various nutrients and are affordable, as well as producing low-calorie protein bars that are cost-effective. The Okara Energy Bar also aims to address waste disposal issues existing in the soy milk industry in this country. Fresh okara is dried in a cabinet dryer at 50°C for 4 hours, and dried okara is ground into flour. Sensory evaluation was conducted on 50 untrained panelists using a 7-point Hedonic Scale (1- dislike very much to 7- like very much) covering 5 attributes evaluated, namely color, appearance, taste, aroma, texture, and overall acceptance. Panelists underwent a general screening test before evaluating the product. The results found that the majority of panelists gave the highest acceptance in overall acceptance.