PENGURANGAN KADAR KALSIUM OKSALAT PADA UMBI TALAS MENGGUNAKAN NaHCO3 : SEBAGAI BAHAN DASAR TEPUNG

Abstract

Taro is one of the tubers that have an alternative as a staple food. However, the taro tuber has many shortages. The content of oxalate can cause itchiness and it will reduce the absorption of calcium in the body. In this experiment 200 gr pieces of taro was boiled with a solution of NaHCO3 at a specific concentration and temperature with the weight to volume ratio was 1:4 (w / v). Reactions were conducted for 60 minutes and every 20 minutes samples were taken for calcium oxalate content analyzed. Furthermore, taro were dried, milled, and sieved to be flour.  In this research, temperature is the most influential variable on reducing calcium oxalate content. Taro tubers heated in water at a temperature of 60 C can reduce about 93.1% of calcium oxalate from raw material. In 6% w NaHCO3 solution at 60C, calcium oxalate content can be reduced to 98.52% and only difference 5.42% compared to using only heat. The best reduction in calcium oxalate content was found on the  60C heating process which is continued by adding of NaHCO3 6% w. It reduce calcium oxalate content about 98.52%  or remaining calcium oxalate content 16.2 mg/100 g  taro, which is below the threshold level (71 mg/100 gr).