Effect of microwave heating on sensory quality assessment of butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) flower using simple additive weighting

Abstract

Drying of butterfly pea flowers is necessary to extend its shelf life and to use it in various functional food products, such as various types of drinks and foods, as well as natural colouring materials. Currently, the use of butterfly pea flowers in functional drinks is growing in various regions, including Indonesia. This research aims to determine butterfly pea flowers’ microwave power and drying time based on sensory analysis using the SAW (simple additive weighting) method. The hedonic test was also conducted to assess the level of preference of panellists for steeping butterfly pea flower tea based on pre-set parameters to obtain the tea preferences. Panellists perform sensory assessments determined based on a numerical scale of 1-7, where value 7 is strongly like, value 6 is like, value 5 is somewhat like, value 4 is neutral, value 3 is somewhat dislike, value 2 is dislike, and value 1 is strongly dislike. The results showed that the level of preference for alternative treatment to sensory quality, consisting of criteria of colour, flavour, taste, and aftertaste, it was known that alternative treatment with rank 1 was obtained at 180 watts microwave power treatment and drying time for 17 minutes.