Development, proximate evaluation, and optimization of functional breakfast cereal from indigenous ingredients (Minna, Nigeria)

The object of the research is an optimal wholesome breakfast cereal. The problem to be solved is to make a wholesome breakfast cereal by using local ingredients with complementary nutritional and health-promoting qualities rather than mono-grain products. This will lessen the global epidemic of malnutrition and diet-related diseases such as diabetes, obesity, overweight and heart diseases. In order to improve nutritional quality, the formulation substituted natural flavorings, artificial colors, sweeteners, synthetic minerals, and preservatives with natural ones. It also made use of experimental design and numerical optimization of ingredient proportions and processing parameters to achieve improved nutritional qualities. Five components, two processing parameters constrained D-optimal mixture-process experimental design was employed in the research. The design constraints were: malted finger millet flour (20‒60%), malted roasted Bambara groundnut flour (10‒40%), turmeric powder (5‒15%), moringa leaf powder (2‒5%), date fruit powder (5‒20%), salt (0.3%); screw speed (70‒150 rpm) and barrel temperature (90‒100°C). Numerical optimization, via desirability function technique, yielded an overall desirability index of 0.7 with optimized components and factors levels as: 42.7% malted finger millet, 40.0% malted roasted Bambara groundnut, 5% date fruit, 2% moringa leaf powder, 10% of turmeric powder, 0.3% salt, 110°C barrel temperature and 110 rpm screw speed. The optimal quality of the breakfast cereal were: 12.5% protein, 67.4% carbohydrate, 6.9% moisture content, 3.6% ash content, 2.4 crude fiber and 7.2% crude fat. The optimal formulation conditions obtained can serve as a data base for future production in food processing industries.