Development and evaluation of an optimised breakfast mix for adolescents aged 10-18 years

Traditionally, food formulations are cost-intensive and time-consuming and can be replaced by efficient computer-aided approaches. NourishCraft was developed using Python and streamlit libraries to support product formulation. It proposes formulations that achieve either minimum cost, minimum greenhouse gas emission, or both, and selects ingredients that satisfy specified nutrient requirements. This study used NourishCraft to formulate a product to meet selected nutritional requirements of adolescents. NourishCraft was used to propose minimum-cost formulations that provide one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for adolescents. The formulation was processed into an instant product using drum-drying. Reference methods were used to determine proximate composition, functional properties, colour, and microbiological parameters. Finally, consumer acceptability of the product was conducted using a 9-point hedonic scale. A formulation constituting cassava (27.64%), coconut (14.22%), millet (25.44%), and Bambara beans (32.71%) were selected from two formulations generated. The drum-dried product contained 434.21 kcal, 73.75 g/100 g of carbohydrate, 11.64 g/100 g of protein, and 3.47 g/100 g of iron. Bulk density, swelling capacity, and water absorption capacity were 0.38 g/ml, 10.28 ml/g, and 693.50%, respectively. L^∗, a^∗, and b^∗ values were 72.81, -0.80, and 14.68, respectively. The yeast and mould count was 2.00^∗10¹ (log 1.30) CFU/ml, with no detectable growth for Enterobacteriaceae and total coliforms. Consumer acceptability was above average for overall likeness (7.82), with no statistically significant difference (p =. 132) among attributes; aroma 8.09, flavour (8.02), aftertaste (7.76), mouthfeel (7.83), and appearance (7.57).