Rice bean (Vigna umbellata) based ready-to-eat geriatric premix: Optimization and analysis

The current study was aimed to prepare a rice bean-based protein-rich premix for elderly population, which can meet their minimum daily dietary requirement in addition to their regular diet. A process for the formulation using rice bean, chickpea, skimmed milk powder, and stevia was optimized. The mixture containing different amounts of ingredients was analyzed for functional properties, antioxidant activity, phytochemical properties, and sensory properties. The optimized product had 56.72 g rice bean, 25.02 g chickpea, 27.75 g skimmed milk powder, and 0.94 g stevia powder. The product contained good amount of bioactive compounds and was rich in nutrients, particularly, vitamin C and protein. As rice bean was a significant variable in the formulation, it could be effectively used for development of specific nutrition-rich products for the elderly. The premix has good nutritional value and potentially meets the minimum nutritional needs of elderly population. Practical applications The current health food market is saturated with lots of foods that are aimed at infant, preschool children, and athletes. A new relevant segment is on the growth in the form of geriatric nutrition and people are understanding the need and care that elderly require in terms of nutrition and specific foods. The current work aims to introduce a ready-to-reconstitute geriatric premix using rice bean as an underutilized source of protein and other nutrients. Moreover, simple techniques that could very well be used in small- to large-scale industries are used to prepare the product.