Instant noodles are a highly popular and widely consumed food in Indonesia,  with an annual consumption of around 13 billion packets. However, most  instant noodles are high in carbohydrates, fat, salt, and preservatives, and low  in protein, contributing to the risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases.  To tackle this challenge, this research project aims to fortify instant noodles  with plant-based proteins, such as edamame, tempeh or even algae, to create a  nutritious and convenient food product that can help improve the protein  intake and overall health of Indonesians.

Preparing Alt-Protein Powder

• Drying the Tempeh

• Grinding

• Sieving to the same particle size as all purpose flour

Production of Protein-Reinforced Noodles

• Dry ingredients are combined (combining wheat flour, alt-protein flour and STPP)

• Wet ingredients are combined (combining water, kansui and psyllium husk)

• Psyllium husk is added to help the dough keep its moisture 

Testing Parameters

• Nutritional properties: protein content, lipid content, ash content, carbohydrate and moisture content

• Cooking properties: breaking rate, cooking loss, water absorption, appearance, taste and smel

Result

The protein content from the resulted dried instant noodle was much higher compared to other commercially available noodles. Tempeh noodle which later called TemPro Noodle is having higher protein content than Indomie and commercial instant noodle that claimed has a high protein content. Other than that, TemPro noodle was incorporated with psyllium husk that not only improve the overall chewiness and texture but also contribute to other nutritious content which is fiber. Additionally, the waste water from the production of this noodle can be reused as a bioplastic. It becomes a thin film which can be used to pack the seasoning.

Conclusion

 Through the results acquired, it’s safe to say that this product has a lot of  potential. Not only is it affordable, but it is also much healthier nutritionally. Its  applications range not only for reinforcing the diet of the protein deficient but  could also be used for bodybuilding or similar activities which require elevated  levels of protein intake. Overall, while the product has reached a satisfactory  level, there are still improvements that can be made: - Environmentally sustainable packaging, for example is quite important in  our day and age. One possibility for this could be from upcycling the slimy  excess water generated from the psyllium husk and turning it into a film or  plastic.  - A better protein source or a mix of proteins could also still be discovered to  fully optimize this products nutritional and economical value. - Additionally, the texture and overall similarity to typical noodles could be  improved for a better overall sensory experience.