Nutritional Quality and Food Safety Evaluation of Dangke: The Role of Coagulants and Production Hygiene Practices

Abstract

Background: Traditional dangke production in Cendana District lacks optimal hygiene and sanitation practices, creating a potential risk for microbial contamination. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional content, microbiological safety, and hygiene and sanitation practices associated with dangke production in Cendana District. Method: The study analyzed a control dangke sample (produced by the researchers using lime juice as a coagulant) alongside a commercial dangke sample (produced by a local maker using papaya sap as a coagulant). This comparative experimental study, employing a descriptive approach, utilized a single sample for each type of coagulant. Result: Laboratory analysis revealed that the control dangke (lime-coagulated) possessed a denser nutritional profile, containing 14.07% protein, 13.32% fat, 4.70% carbohydrates, and 613 µg/100g of vitamin A. In contrast, the commercial dangke (papaya sap-coagulated) exhibited lower protein content (8.239%) and showed heavy contamination with Escherichia coli (>2400 MPN/g, failing to meet SNI 7388:2009 standards), although it tested negative for Salmonella. Sanitation observations indicated that the producer implemented only 32% (8 out of 25) of the standard hygiene and sanitation practices. Conclusion: While lime juice coagulation yielded optimal nutritional composition in the researchers' test samples, the commercial papaya sap-coagulated dangke from Cendana District posed a high risk regarding microbiological safety. These findings are specific to the samples tested in Cendana District and cannot be generalized to represent all dangke products in Enrekang Regency.