<![CDATA[Abstract Emulsion is an effort to enhance the potential of a given material. Locally sourced natural ingredients, such as the widely favored red dragon fruit, can be combined with Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO), which is generally less preferred. Through this formulation, the acceptability of the emulsion product can be improved in terms of color, taste, and texture. This study aims to identify the formulation ratio of red dragon fruit puree–VCO emulsion using gum arabic as an emulsifier. In addition, the effects of sorbitol as a sweetener and humectant, as well as lemon essence as a flavoring agent, were also analyzed. The resulting emulsion was an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion. The emulsions were prepared with varying ratios of red dragon fruit puree–VCO (10, 15, 20, 25% v/v) with gum arabic at 0.75% (w/v), homogenized at 15,000 rpm for 4 minutes. Viscosity measurements were conducted using an Atago viscometer before and after stability testing. Stability tests were carried out physically using the freeze–thaw method for 5 cycles. After determining the best ratio, further analysis was conducted on the addition of sorbitol (1–2% v/v) and lemon essence (0.2–0.8% v/v). The results showed that the best emulsion was obtained at a puree–VCO ratio of 10%, as indicated by relatively stable viscosity and stability both before and after the stability test. The optimum sorbitol addition was 1.5% (w/v), while the best lemon essence addition was 0.2% (v/v). This formulation can be applied to semi-solid foods such as salad dressings and dessert toppings. Keywords: Virgin Coconut Oil, puree, red dragon fruit, emulsion, gum arabic, sorbitol, lemon essence Abstrak Emulsi merupakan upaya untuk meningkatkan potensi yang dimiliki oleh suatu bahan. Bahan alami berbasis lokal seperti buah naga merah yang banyak disukai, dapat dikombinasikan dengan Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) yang kurang disukai. Kombinasi formulasi ini dapat meningkatkan daya terima produk emulsi melalui perbaikan dari segi warna, rasa dan tekstur. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengidentifikasi formulasi rasio emulsi puree buah naga merah-VCO dengan emulsifier gum arab. Dilakukan pula analisis pengaruh penambahan sorbitol sebagai pemanis dan humektan serta penambahan esens lemon sebagai pemberi aroma. Emulsi yang terbentuk merupakan emulsi minyak dalam air (O/W). Emulsi dibuat dengan variasi rasio VCO-Puree buah naga merah (10,15,20,25%v/v) dengan gum arab 0,75%(%w/v), dihomogenisasi pada kecepatan 15.000 rpm selama 4 menit. Dilakukan pengukuran viskositas terhadap emulsi dengan viskometer Atago sebelum dan sesudah pengujian stabilitas. Pengujian stabilitas dilakukan secara fisik dengan uji Freeze-thaw test selama 5 siklus. Setelah didapatkan rasio terbaik, selanjutnya dilakukan analisis terhadap penambahan sorbitol dengan variasi 1-2%(%v/v) dan penambahan esens lemon dengan variasi 0,2-0,8%(%v/v). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa emulsi terbaik terbentuk pada rasio puree- VCO 10% yang ditunjukkan oleh viskositas dan stabilitas yang relatif stabil sebelum maupun sesudah pengujian stabilitas. Sedangkan pada penambahan sorbitol yang terbaik yaitu 1,5%(%w/v) dan penambahan esens lemon terbaik yaitu 0,2% (%v/v). Formulasi ini dapat diaplikasikan pada pangan semi-padat seperti salad dressing dan topping dessert. Keywords: Virgin Coconut Oil, puree, buah naga merah, emulsi, gum arab, sorbitol, esens lemon]]>
