DOI: https://doi.org/10.14456/jsat.2025.3
Abstract
The principle of reverse spherification relies on the formation of calcium alginate, in which sodium alginate undergoes gelation in the presence of calcium ions. In this study, sweet-noodles in milk balls were produced by incorporating calcium lactate into the core solution and submerging it in a sodium alginate bath to form spherical gel structures. Optimization of the production conditions was conducted using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a Central Composite Design (CCD), focusing on two independent variables: sodium alginate concentration (X₁: 1.0–1.5%) and soaking time (X₂: 3–5 minutes). Each formulation was evaluated for its physical properties, including weight, size, color (L*, a*, b*), and membrane thickness. The results indicated that increasing
both alginate concentration and soaking time enhanced gelation, resulting in increased bead size and film thickness. The optimal condition for producing sweet-noodles in milk balls was found to be 1.50% alginate concentration and 3 minutes of soaking time. Under this condition, the actual bead size was 15.93 mm. The predictive model was further validated, yielding a predicted bead size of 15.43 ± 0.49 mm, confirming the reliability of the optimization model.
Keywords: sweet-noodles in milk, reverse spherification, gelation
Received: May 1, 2025. Revised: May 31, 2025. Accepted: June 6, 2025.
