Development and consumer acceptability of a pearl millet-based savory porridge premix using I-optimal mixture design

Aim: Malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies remain major public health concerns, while the rising prevalence of diabetes highlights the need for low glycemic index (GI) foods. Pearl millet has potential for value-added product development but is underutilized. This study aimed to optimize a pearl millet-based savory porridge premix formulation based on sensory attributes using a mixture design. Methods: A two-component simplex lattice mixture design was used to optimize the proportions of key ingredients based on sensory evaluation. Data were analyzed using response surface modeling, and the optimized formulation was validated through a house-use test. Additionally, the functional properties, proximate composition, iron and zinc content, and cost analysis were analyzed. Results: The optimized product consists of 33.524 g of pearl millet flour and 6.476 g of spice mixture, yielding a desirability index of 0.917. Carr’s index (%) and Hausner ratio of the optimized premix were 20.95 ± 0.19 and 1.2650 ± 0.0031. The fiber, iron, and zinc content of the premix were 3.63 g/100 g, 4.216 mg/100 g, and 1.287 mg/100 g, respectively. The cost analysis of the optimized premix demonstrated that the product is economically viable as it can be manufactured at Indian Rupee (INR) 2.32 per 40 g pouch. The house-use test results indicated that 52.7% of participants reported “like very much”, while 27.1% expressed “like” for the product. However, the strongly purchase intention for the optimized product was reported by only approximately 27.1% of the participants. Conclusions: The optimized premix showed acceptable nutritional quality, sensory attributes, cost feasibility, and a low estimated GI, indicating its potential for health-conscious and at-risk populations.