Asian Food Science Journal

Iron deficiency and protein-energy malnutrition continue to be major public health concerns, particularly among children, adolescents, pregnant women, and other nutritionally vulnerable populations. The present study was undertaken to develop and evaluate an iron and protein-enriched ready-to-cook oats mix using natural food ingredients. Five formulations (T₀–T₄) were prepared by incorporating varying proportions of soybean flour and dry dates powder into rolled oats, while roasted Bengal gram flour, flaxseed powder, skim milk powder, cardamom powder, and cinnamon powder were maintained at predetermined levels. The developed formulations were analysed for proximate composition, iron content, functional properties, sensory attributes, microbiological quality, and storage stability following standard AOAC International (2023) procedures. Sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of 30 semi-trained members using a nine-point hedonic scale, while microbiological analyses included Total Plate Count, Yeast and Mould Count, and Coliform Count. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at a significance level of p < 0.05. The results revealed that incorporation of soybean flour and dry dates powder significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced the protein, iron, crude fibre, ash, and energy contents of the oats mix while reducing carbohydrate content. Among the developed formulations, T₃ exhibited the highest overall sensory acceptability (8.76 ± 0.05), along with an improved nutritional profile containing 23.84 ± 0.28% protein, 11.48 ± 0.17 mg/100 g iron, 9.36 ± 0.14% crude fibre, and 412.76 ± 2.15 kcal/100 g. Functional properties such as water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, swelling capacity and dispersibility also improved with increasing incorporation of the enrichment ingredients. Microbiological evaluation confirmed that all formulations were within permissible safety limits throughout 90 days of storage, with no detectable coliforms. The study concluded that the optimised oats mix is a nutritionally superior, shelf-stable, and consumer-acceptable functional food that has considerable potential for improving dietary protein and iron intake and may serve as an affordable supplementary food for combating protein-energy malnutrition and iron deficiency.