Development of Ready-to-eat (Spirulina Pancake Premix) Nutritional Supplement for Anemic Adolescent Girls: Nutritional and Microbial Analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to create an iron-rich dietary supplement utilizing spirulina and other nutritionally dense ingredients—quinoa, soybean, and amaranth—in the form of a pancake premix. The pancake premix was formulated, prepared, and analysed for its nutritional composition. The premix was meticulously developed by combining ingredients from various food groups, incorporating vanilla powder for flavour. The preparation involved simple steps to produce the final pancake product. Following the preparation, a thorough nutritional analysis was performed, covering moisture, ash, fat, protein, iron, crude fibre, and total carbohydrate content, adhering to established protocols such as AOAC methods. The results revealed that the spirulina pancake premix contained 4.5% moisture, 12% ash, 4.6% fat, 11.7% protein, 67.8% carbohydrates, 5.7% iron, and 0.83% crude fibre. Furthermore, based on the Food Composition Table, the premix provided 460 kcal of energy, 16g of protein, 87g of carbohydrates, 3g of fat, and 8.5g of iron per serving, meeting substantial nutritional requirements. Microbial analysis indicated limited microbial growth, attributed to the airtight sealing of the premix in silver plastic bags, which effectively prevented contamination and extended the product's shelf life. The pancake premix demonstrated promising nutritional content and microbial control, suggesting its potential as an iron-rich dietary supplement for addressing nutritional deficiencies, particularly among anemic adolescent girls.