A study was carried out to develop pumpkin soup tablet with enriched β-carotene which can be instantly reconstituted in hot water. Ingredients of pumpkin soup tablet namely pumpkin flour (32.5%), corn flour (19.4%), milk powder (14.5%), onion powder (3.2%), pepper powder (3.2%), coriander (1.3%), garlic (1.3%), saturated fat (6.5%) and salt (13.9%) were optimised. Maltodextrin and xanthan gum were used as emulsifier to prepare two variants of the soup cube formulations. Proximate composition, β-carotene, textural attributes and microbiological quality of the developed product were determined during storage at room temperature. Sensory acceptability of the product was evaluated by reconstituting the soup cube in hot water. The study revealed that the product was acceptable and could be reconstituted instantly in hot water. Soup tablets prepared with xanthan gum as emulsifier were superior in colour, texture and retention of β-carotene. The incorporation of pumpkin flour in soup cube enhanced its nutritional value to an extent of 50% of RDI for β-carotene. The product could be a convenient alternative for preparing an organoleptically acceptable soup instantly and thereby saving packaging cost and space.

中文翻译：

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速溶南瓜汤片的研制及储藏稳定性的研究

进行了研究，以开发富含β-胡萝卜素的南瓜汤片，该汤片可以在热水中立即重构。南瓜汤片的成分包括南瓜粉（32.5％），玉米粉（19.4％），奶粉（14.5％），洋葱粉（3.2％），胡椒粉（3.2％），香菜（1.3％），大蒜（1.3 ％），饱和脂肪（6.5％）和盐（13.9％）进行了优化。麦芽糊精和黄原胶被用作乳化剂以制备汤块配方的两种变体。在室温下储存期间，确定所开发产品的近似组成，β-胡萝卜素，质地属性和微生物质量。通过将汤块在热水中复溶来评估产品的感官可接受性。研究表明，该产品是可以接受的，可以在热水中立即复溶。用黄原胶作为乳化剂制备的汤片在颜色，质地和β-胡萝卜素的保留方面优异。将南瓜粉加入汤块中可提高其营养价值，达到β-胡萝卜素的RDI的50％。该产品可以作为方便的替代品，用于立即制备感官上可接受的汤，从而节省包装成本和空间。