Formulation and Quality Characterization of Energy-Dense Foods From Local Ingredients Targeted for High-Performance Nutrition

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Résumé

Military personnel operating in feld environments often experience energy defcits due to limited access to adequate nutrition.
Terefore, the development of high-calorie, shelf-stable, and nutrient-dense foods is essential to sustain their performance and health. Tis study aimed to formulate and evaluate the nutritional and microbiological quality of such high-calorie foods using locally available raw materials, guided by a design of experiments approach. Ten distinct food formulations were developed based on a mixture design plan. Physicochemical and microbiological parameters were analyzed according to ISO and AOAC standards.
Te results revealed protein contents ranging from 20.86 to 29.84 g/100 g, carbohydrates from 33.39 to 48.39 g/100 g, and fat from 18.71 to 33.71 g/100 g, with a maximum energy value of 520.40 kcal/100 g. A radar chart illustrated that F7 was the richest in protein, F9 had the highest lipid content, and F8 contained the most carbohydrates. Te pH, humidity, dry matter, total ash, and °Brix values ranged from 4.30 to 5.03, 12.04% to 27.04%, 72.96% to 87.96%, 3.84% to 20.60%, and 0.67 to 1.40, respectively. Te contents of sodium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and iron (mg/100 g) varied between 55.68 and 1172.8, 59.75 and 126.3, 44.59 and 92.26, 1.14 and 2.18, 596.64 and 838.68, and 2.21 and 4.95, respectively. Microbiological analyses confrmed the absence of pathogenic microorganisms, including Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus spp. Te novelty of this study lies in the integration of physicochemical, nutritional, and microbiological profling within a formulation optimization framework which demonstrates an innovative approach to the development of stable, nutrient-rich, and high-calorie foods from locally sourced ingredients. Tese fndings demonstrate also the potential for locally sourced ingredients to support the development of fortifed foods for both military and sports applications.

Mots-clés

Functional food design, high-energy formulation, mixture optimization, military rations, nutrient profling