Nutritional Content and Organoleptic Acceptance of Dangke and Pumpkin-Based Chips as a Snack for School-Age Children

Abstract

Background: School-age children require balanced nutrition to support growth and development; however, the consumption of low-nutrient snacks remains a concern. This study aimed to analyse the nutritional content and acceptance levels of chips made from a combination of dangke and pumpkin as a healthy, local food-based snack alternative for school-age children. Method: The study employed a laboratory experiment with a quantitative approach. The study tested three formulations: F0 (0 g pumpkin), F1 (30 g pumpkin), and F2 (60 g pumpkin). Nutritional analysis covered protein, fat, carbohydrate, and vitamin A content, while organoleptic testing involved 30 untrained panellists using a 1–5 hedonic scale. Results: The results showed that F0 had the highest fat (32.16%) and carbohydrate (51.75%) content, F1 had the highest protein content (9.77%), and F2 had the highest vitamin A content (399.82 µg/100 g). In the organoleptic test, F0 received the highest scores for colour (4.33 ± 0.606) and taste (4.53 ± 0.681), while F1 received the highest scores for aroma (4.27 ± 0.785) and texture (4.47 ± 0.629). Statistical analysis indicated no significant differences (p>0.05) in colour, aroma, taste, or texture among formulations F0, F1, and F2. Thus, the three formulations did not differ significantly in terms of panellist acceptance, despite descriptive differences in mean values. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that chips combining dangke and pumpkin have the potential to be developed as a local food-based snack alternative with favourable nutritional content and acceptance levels. Future research is recommended to develop formulation variations and conduct testing on the product's physical characteristics and quality.