Development and Optimization of a Protein-rich Nutritional Sattu Premix

Abstract

The present study focused on the development and evaluation of a protein-rich nutritional sattu premix prepared from roasted Bengal gram and complementary cereal, fruit, nut, dry-fruit and traditional sweetening ingredients. Five formulations (T0–T4) were prepared by varying the proportions of sattu, roasted rice flour, almonds, banana powder, dates powder, dry-fruit mix and jaggery powder. T0 served as the control without sattu, whereas T1–T4 contained progressively varied levels of sattu and complementary ingredients. The raw materials and formulations were evaluated for proximate composition, physicochemical characteristics, sensory attributes and instrumental colour. The formulation receiving the highest overall sensory acceptance was subsequently monitored for 90 days under ambient storage for changes in nutritional, functional, microbiological and sensory characteristics. Sattu and almonds contained 20.85% and 21.18% protein, respectively. Among the formulations, T1 exhibited the highest protein (16.92%) and fat (15.76%), whereas T4 recorded the highest crude fibre (6.42%), water absorption capacity (1.58 g/g) and solubility (77.10%). T2 achieved the highest overall acceptability score (8.2/9) and was therefore selected as the sensory-optimised formulation. Over 90 days of storage, moisture increased from 4.67% to 5.28%, whereas protein and fat decreased slightly. Total plate count and yeast and mould counts increased gradually, whereas coliforms remained undetected in the reported dataset. Overall, the formulation demonstrated potential as a convenient, nutrient-dense dry premix. Because the supplied manuscript does not report inferential statistical outputs, definitive statements of statistical significance and shelf-life should be based on the original laboratory replicates and appropriate statistical analysis.