THESIS

1) Moisture content
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The moisture content (the quantitative determination of total water
content) of a food is one indication of a food’s stability and quality (Pomeranz and
Meloan, 1994). Moistness is a favorable sensory attribute in baked products because it
is synonymous with a soft, tender product. However, too much moisture promotes
microbial growth (Nonaka, 1997). HFCS, a hygroscopic sweetener, also acts as a
humectant by drawing in moisture from the air into the cake. The moisture content
was significantly different among the butter cake samples (P≤ 0.05). Moisture content
of the cake samples were between 18.21 – 27.15%. As the HFCS addition level
increased, the moisture content increased gradually. The cakes with HFCS were more
hygroscopic because of the humectants nature of the syrup. In this study the cakes
with 100% HFCS as a replacement for sucrose had the highest moisture content,
which was 27.15%. The major difference between sucrose and HFCS-55 is their
moisture content (5% versus 23%, respectively) (Hanover
and White, 1993). The high
moisture content in the cake samples
were contributes to the moistness of the butter
cakes (Table 21). This
is in agreement with other findings of Joanna et al. (1990).
2) Protein, crude fat and ash content
fat content (25.06 – 25.43%) was detected between the butter cake samples, which are
in accordance with the equivalent butter level used in both formulations. Similarly,
the incorporation of HFCS did not produce a noticeable change in the final protein
content, which was 12.45 – 12.89%.
This type of product was generally characterized
by medium protein contents and, evidently, the actual level depends on the
formulation employed. Butter cake formulated with HFCS show no difference
((P≥0.05) in ash content (2.70-2.86 %) was detected between cakes, reflecting the low
mineral level in this ingredient.
As expected for protein, crude fat and ash content (expressed in
wet base) were the same in both butter cakes (Table 21). No difference ((P≥0.05) in