ENHANCING THE NUTRITIONAL AND SENSORY QUALITIES OF MIKI NOODLES USING MALUNGGAY (Oleifera) POWDER AND SQUASH (Cucurbita maxima) PUREE

The rising demand for nutritious and innovative food products highlights the importance of developing alternatives incorporating locally available, health-enhancing ingredients. However, there is limited research on combining malunggay (Moringa oleifera) and squash (Cucurbita maxima) in noodle production to improve nutritional value and consumer acceptability. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the acceptability of malunggay and squash Miki noodle recipes. The developmental process involved preparing malunggay powder from dried and pulverized leaves and squash puree from cooked and mashed squash. These ingredients were incorporated into Miki noodle dough and processed into noodle strands. The finished products, including pancit guisado and pancit sabaw variants, were subjected to sensory evaluation by 100 evaluators using a five-point Likert scale. Attributes such as appearance, aroma, taste, texture, and general acceptability were assessed. Results revealed that malunggay and squash are effective and acceptable ingredients for Miki noodles, enhancing both nutritional value and sensory qualities. Sun-drying significantly extended shelf life to 2–3 months. The study recommends further research on nutritional analysis, cost-effectiveness, and innovative food product development to maximize the potential of these locally available ingredients.