Analysis of unsaturated fatty acid content in blenderized enteral by spraydrying method

Blenderized enteral formula is a liquid food that contains nutrients and is easily contaminated with bacteria. The drying process by using spray drying is one of the methods used to produce blenderized enteral formula powder and reduce bacterial contamination. However, it affects the fat content. This study aimed to analyze the differences in unsaturated fatty acids content in the blenderized enteral formula before and after spray drying. The design of this study was quasi-experimental using an enteral blenderized formula that was replicated 3 times and then dried using spray drying. The unsaturated fatty acid levels before and after drying were analyzed using the GC method. The differences between them were analyzed by paired T-Test and Wilcoxon. The results showed that the average unsaturated fatty acids levels before and after drying were: 0.190 and 0.370% (p = 0.055) for monounsaturated fatty acid, 0.070 and 0.100% (p = 0.109) for polyunsaturated fatty acid; 0.003 and 0.002% (p = 0.157) for omega 3, and 0.050 and 0.090% (p = 0.109) for omega 6. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference in fat profile before and after drying. The conclusion showed that the spray drying method did not affect the unsaturated fatty acid levels of the blenderized enteral formula.