Development of a Food Wrapper Using Water Spinach Leaves (Ipomoea Aquatica) as a Substitute Raw Material for Nori Seaweed Sheet

The present work aimed to develop a food wrapper using water spinach leaves as a substitute raw material for nori seaweed sheet. Water spinach (Ipomoea Aquatica) has been used in cooking variety of dishes and producing food products, it also has a high survival rate in different climates and environments making it a sustainable plant for different uses. Furthermore, nori seaweed sheets are not common product produced in the Philippines, reason why it’s expensive in the market since due to importation. Therefore, the substitute for this product is using sustainable water spinach leaves abundant in Tuguegarao City. The production process of water spinach sheets involves soaking in saltwater, blanching, blending, drying, and pan frying for crispiness. The study applied an experimental research design consisting of four formulations and a control sample. A sensory evaluation was conducted with 50 respondents using a 9-hedonic scale to test the level of acceptability of the edible wrappers. Among the five formulations, Formulation 4 (100% water spinach) was the most acceptable and preferred by the evaluators based on sensory attributes. The results indicated that water spinach can serve as an effective substitute to nori seaweed for food wrapper production. It demonstrates good sensory qualities and high acceptability among consumers, suggesting strong potential for further development and possible commercial application. Moreover, the proximate composition indicates that the water spinach sheet is also nutritionally beneficial, using Block Digestion/Steam Distillation, the crude protein content was found to be 14.93 g/100g, confirming the product's high protein content. Crude fat content was measured at 3.62 g/100g using Soxhlet Extraction, suggesting the product is low in fat. The moisture content was 16.35 g/100g and the ash content, expressing mineral content, was fairly high at 12.56 g/100g, which suggests the availability of vital nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. These results confirm that the 100% water spinach Formulation 4 is not only the most acceptable based on sensory acceptability but also nutritionally better, a good and sustainable alternative to the more costly and imported nori seaweed widely utilized in food wrappers.