Physicochemical Properties and Sensory Quality of Marine Plant–Based Seasoning From Red Seaweed (Gracilaria sp.) Combined With Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)

Abstract

This study examined the creation of a plant‐based seasoning powder derived from red seaweed (Gracilaria sp.) enhanced with white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) powder. Four formulations were tested: a control (0% mushroom) and three with 10%, 20%, and 30% mushroom content. Physicochemical analysis revealed that increasing mushroom levels significantly reduced water content, from 3.976% in the control to 2.852% at 30% mushroom (p < 0.001), whereas all products remained within a safe microbial stability range (< 4%). Glutamic acid levels rose proportionally with mushroom addition, indicating a boost in savory compounds. Sensory evaluations employed the Friedman test, followed by Wilcoxon′s signed‐rank post hoc analysis. Results showed that texture was consistent across treatments (p = 0.6444), but taste, aroma, and color scores significantly improved with mushroom inclusion. The formulation with 30% mushroom (P3) received the highest hedonic scores for taste (4.10) and a notably superior aroma (4.00) compared to the seaweed‐only control. These findings suggest that fortifying with 30% mushroom harnesses umami synergy to transform a marine‐based seaweed substrate into a highly acceptable, shelf‐stable, clean‐label savory seasoning.