Formulation and Acceptability of Spinach Pudding Sponge Cake as an Alternative Iron-Source Snack for Adults

Spinach leaves are a food ingredient with potential for snack product development because they contain various nutrients, particularly iron. This study aimed to determine the nutritional content and acceptability of a green spinach leaf pudding sponge cake as an alternative snack for adults. An experimental study was conducted at the Laboratory of the Faculty of Psychology and Health, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya. Acceptability was assessed by 30 untrained panelists using a seven-point hedonic scale covering color, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptance. Nutritional content was estimated from the composition of the ingredients used, and differences in organoleptic scores were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. The spinach product contained 196.08 kcal of energy, 4.02 g of protein, 29.66 g of carbohydrate, 0.36 g of fiber, and 0.41 mg of iron per piece. A significant difference was found in taste (p = 0.031), whereas color, aroma, texture, and overall acceptance did not differ significantly. However, the calculated iron content of both products was identical. Therefore, further development of this product requires re-verification of the nutrient calculations and laboratory analysis to confirm its iron content