Formulation, Sensory Acceptability, and Iron Content of Moringa Leaf–Breadfruit Biscuits Designed for Adolescent Girls in Boarding School Settings

Anemia continues to be a leading nutritional concern for adolescent girls living in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren); baseline data collected in 2023 at one pesantren in Samarinda identified anemia in 34 of its 69 santri. Two indigenous foods native to humid tropical forest environments, moringa leaf (Moringa oleifera) and breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), offer potential as ingredients for an iron-dense functional biscuit that could support community and school health nursing efforts aimed at anemia control. This research set out to identify which of several moringa-breadfruit biscuit formulas was best accepted by anemia-risk female santri, and to determine the iron level of the formula ultimately chosen. Three variants, distinguished by their breadfruit-puree-to-moringa-flour ratios (8:1 for F1, 7:2 for F2, and 2:1 for F3), were prepared and assessed on seven sensory dimensions using a 5-point hedonic scale, with 30 purposively sampled female santri whose hemoglobin fell below 12 g/dL and/or who had a documented anemia history serving as the rating panel; one-way ANOVA was applied to the resulting scores. The iron level of the chosen formula was subsequently determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) at a laboratory accredited by the National Accreditation Committee (KAN). Formula F1 earned the top acceptability scores on most attributes, and formulas differed significantly in color, aroma, texture, and taste (p<0.05), though mouthfeel, aftertaste, and overall liking showed no significant variation (p>0.05). Testing showed F1 alone contained 3.43 mg of iron per 100 g, roughly 22.9% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance set for girls aged 13-18. Given its superior acceptability among at-risk santri and its meaningful iron contribution, F1 (breadfruit:moringa 8:1) appears suitable as a nurse-facilitated, locally sourced functional snack for anemia-prevention efforts run through community and school health nursing. Because this was a single-arm product-development and acceptability study lacking a comparator formula, with iron content verified for F1 alone and no biological efficacy trial conducted, the results reported here should be treated as preliminary.