Fortification of Sago Starch With Egg Powder: Impacts on Starch and Noodle Properties

Sago starch can potentially serve as a carbohydrate-rich staple food substitute for rice in Indonesia. However, its limitations include low protein content and a lack of other essential nutrients. This study is aimed at enhancing sago starch's nutritional value and functional properties to make it comparable to rice by fortifying it with whole egg powder and egg white powder. The fortified sago starch was evaluated for its nutritional value, pasting properties, and its application in noodle production. The results indicate that fortifying sago starch with either whole egg powder or egg white powder can increase its nutritional value and improve the quality of both the sago starch and the resulting noodles. Specifically, formulations containing 80% sago starch and 20% whole egg powder yielded a protein content of 8.20%. In contrast, those with 90% sago starch and 10% egg white powder achieved a protein content of 8.64%. The addition of whole egg powder or egg white powder changed how sago starch pastes, which changed how it gelatinizes and forms gels. Compared to pure sago starch, fortification caused a drop in peak viscosity (PV), trough viscosity (TV), and final viscosity (FV). The drop in breakdown viscosity (BV) shows that the structure was stronger when heated. Adding both types of egg powder made the surface of the noodles thicker. Egg white powder had the most noticeable positive effect on the surface of the noodles, making them more compact and less porous and cracked. This improvement makes the noodles last longer, taste better, and have a better texture. The results of this study provide important information for making sago-based foods better and for using sago starch in more ways in the food industry.