Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Indonesia memiliki potensi besar sebagai produsen minyak kelapa dunia, dengan produksi mencapai 3,2 juta ton kopra. namun, tingginya konsumsi lemak hewani dalam pangan berpotensi menimbulkan masalah kesehatan, sehingga diperlukan alternatif berbasis minyak nabati seperti oleogel. penelitian ini bertujuan mengevaluasi model kinetika pengeringan (newton, page, dan henderson-pabis), pengaruh metode pengeringan terhadap karakteristik kelapa parut kering dan mutu minyak kelapa, serta pengembangan oleogel berbasis minyak kelapa sebagai pengganti lemak pada produk bakery dan aplikasinya pada muffin. metode pengeringan yang digunakan meliputi sun drying, oven drying (40–70 °c), dan microwave drying (100–450 w). hasil menunjukkan bahwa peningkatan suhu dan daya mempercepat laju pengeringan dan menurunkan kadar air, dengan model page sebagai model kinetika terbaik. perlakuan terbaik diperoleh pada oven drying 70 °c dan microwave drying 200 w yang memenuhi sni, sementara microwave drying daya tinggi menyebabkan penurunan mutu sensori akibat reaksi maillard. minyak kelapa hasil microwave drying menghasilkan rendemen tertinggi (56,7%), kadar air terendah (0,13%), dan asam lemak bebas terendah (0,02%). analisis gc-ms menunjukkan dominasi asam laurat (>49%), sedangkan ftir mengonfirmasi struktur trigliserida khas. untuk pembentukan oleogel, minyak hasil oven drying dipilih karena memberikan stabilitas struktural yang lebih baik. oleogel berbasis beeswax menunjukkan critical gelling concentration pada 3%, dengan kapasitas pengikatan minyak mencapai 100%, stabilitas termal tinggi, dan struktur kristal yang optimal. aplikasi pada produk muffin menunjukkan bahwa oleogel dengan 3% beeswax memberikan tingkat penerimaan sensori lebih tinggi dibandingkan 2%, terutama pada atribut rasa dan tekstur. secara keseluruhan, penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa pemilihan metode pengeringan yang tepat berpengaruh signifikan terhadap kualitas minyak kelapa dan keberhasilan pembentukan oleogel sebagai alternatif lemak fungsional dalam produk pangan. kata kunci: beeswax, metode pengeringan, minyak kelapa, muffin, oleogel.

Indonesia has great potential as a global coconut oil producer, with copra production reaching 3.2 million tons. However, the high consumption of animal fats in food may lead to health problems, highlighting the need for plant-based alternatives such as oleogels. This study aimed to evaluate drying kinetic models (Newton, Page, and Henderson–Pabis), investigate the effect of drying methods on the characteristics of dried grated coconut and the quality of coconut oil, and develop coconut oil–based oleogels as a fat replacer in bakery products, particularly in muffins. The drying methods applied were sun drying, oven drying (40–70 °C), and microwave drying (100–450 W). The results showed that increasing temperature and power accelerated the drying rate and reduced moisture content, with the Page model providing the best fit for drying kinetics. The optimal treatments were oven drying at 70 °C and microwave drying at 200 W, both meeting the Indonesian National Standard (SNI), while high-power microwave drying led to sensory quality deterioration due to Maillard reactions. Coconut oil produced by microwave drying yielded the highest oil recovery (56.7%), lowest moisture content (0.13%), and lowest free fatty acid content (0.02%). GC–MS analysis revealed lauric acid as the dominant fatty acid (>49%), while FTIR confirmed the characteristic triglyceride structure. For oleogel formation, oil obtained from oven drying was selected due to its better structural stability. Beeswax-based oleogels exhibited a Critical Gelling Concentration at 3%, with 100% oil binding capacity, high thermal stability, and an optimal crystal structure. Application in muffin products showed that oleogels containing 3% beeswax achieved higher sensory acceptance than those with 2%, particularly in flavor and texture. Overall, this study demonstrates that the selection of an appropriate drying method significantly affects coconut oil quality and the successful formation of oleogels as a functional fat alternative in food products. Keywords: beeswax, coconut oil, drying method, muffin, oleogel.