Development and Nutritional Evaluation of a Malabar Spinach-Based Composite Food Supplement (Basella rubra L.)

Background: Micronutrient deficiencies, or "hidden hunger," affect over 2 billion people globally. Despite dietary guidelines, urban populations often consume less than 50% of the recommended daily intake of green leafy vegetables (GLVs). Basella rubra L. (red Malabar spinach) is an underutilized indigenous vegetable with superior nutritional density compared to conventional spinach, yet its application in functional food matrices remains limited. Objective: This study aimed to develop and evaluate a novel, ready-to-cook (RTC) composite nutrimix powder incorporating freeze-dried B. rubra to address urban micronutrient gaps. Methods: Five experimental formulations (N₁–N₅) were developed by varying B. rubra content (5–25%) alongside pumpkin powder, brown rice flour, and mung bean flour. Sensory evaluation (n = 30) was analyzed via Friedman's ANOVA. The optimized formulation was subjected to comprehensive proximate, mineral, vitamin, and phytochemical characterization following AOAC (2019) protocols. Results: Formulation N₂ (10% B. rubra) achieved the highest overall acceptability score (8.54 ± 0.35, p < 0.001), with higher inclusion levels (≥15%) significantly reducing scores due to bitter off-flavors. The optimized nutrimix exhibited a balanced macronutrient profile (protein: 11.52 ± 0.02 g/100g) and substantial mineral density (iron: 5.23 ± 0.02 mg/100g; calcium: 125.40 ± 0.53 mg/100g). The co-presence of vitamin C (19.07 ± 0.03 mg/100g) suggests enhanced non-heme iron bioavailability. Furthermore, an exceptionally high total phenolic content (41.35 ± 0.01 mg GAE/g) was recorded, attributed to the betalain-rich B. rubra matrix. Low moisture content (7.04 ± 0.03%) indicates favorable shelf stability. Conclusion: The 10% B. rubra formulation is a sensorially acceptable and nutritionally superior functional food, as validated by standardized hedonic evaluations and AOAC nutritional profiling. This study demonstrates the viability of valorizing underutilized indigenous greens to create a scalable, shelf-stable product for improving micronutrient security in modern food systems.