Formulation and Evaluation of Nutritional Characters of Nutrient dense Food Products for Older Adults

Abstract

Background: Nutritional deficiencies is a common concern among older persons, which may be linked to insufficient energy and protein intake. Nutrient-dense food products containing cereals, millets, legumes, nuts, seeds, and milk-derived substances may be useful dietary formats for improving nutrient intake.
Objective: The study sought to create and nutritionally define two food products for use in older-adult nutrition: a Soft Energy Ball and Protein-Enriched Millet Porridge Powder.
Methods: Two food products were created and standardized by combining cereal, millet, legume, nut, seed, and milk-derived constituents. The Soft Energy Ball was made with dates, groundnuts, sesame seeds, skimmed milk powder, flaxseed, and cardamom, while the Protein-Enriched Millet Porridge Powder was made with ragi, foxtail millet, roasted Bengal gram, whey protein isolate, skimmed milk powder, flaxseed, moringa leaf powder, and jaggery. Ten semi-trained panel members evaluated five formulations (F1-F5) of each product on a 9-point hedonic scale for look, color, aroma, texture, consistency, and overall acceptability. The formulation that had the highest observed overall acceptability was chosen for nutritional and mineral analysis. AMMAGENOMICS Food Testing Laboratory analyzed the selected F4 formulations for energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, and dietary fiber, while calcium and iron were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Nutritional and mineral values were reported per 100 grams of product.
Results: The Soft Energy Ball had 438.15 kcal of energy, 60.65 g of carbohydrate, 10.47 g of protein, 17.07 g of fat, 4.89 g of dietary fiber, 403.54 milligrams of calcium, and 2.29 mg of iron per 100 grams. Per 100 g, the Protein-Enriched Millet Porridge Powder contained 393.57 kcal of energy, 72.28 g carbohydrate, 16.52 g protein, 4.26 g fat, 3.77 g dietary fiber, 547.40 mg calcium, and 3.25 mg iron. F4 had the highest overall acceptance, with a mean score of 8.20 ± 0.45 for the Protein-Enriched Millet Porridge Powder and 8.30 ± 0.48 for the Soft Energy Ball. The Soft Energy Ball had more energy and fat than the Protein-Enriched Millet Porridge Powder, which had more protein, calcium, and iron per 100 g.
Conclusion: Both products demonstrated positive sensory acceptability and distinct nutritional profiles, supporting their consideration for further research in older-adult nutrition.