Germinated Haricot Bean and Teff‐Fortified Barley Porridge for Combatting Pregnant Women's Malnutrition: Optimization Using Mixture Design, Regression Modeling, Contour Plot Analysis, and Nutritional Evaluations

In Ethiopia, malnutrition among pregnant women, particularly in rural areas, remains a critical public health challenge, necessitating a strong focus on developing innovative food products. This study aimed to develop optimized composite porridge flours for pregnant women by blending germinated haricot beans, teff, and barley, using regression modeling and contour plot analysis. The flours were blended within 30%-60% for barley, 10%-30% for teff, and 30%-60% for germinated haricot beans. The formulated composite flours exhibited proximate composition values (g/100 g) within the ranges of moisture (8.96-9.46), ash (3.46-4.76), crude fat (2.09-3.64), crude fiber (9.16-10.75), crude protein (14.32-17.57), carbohydrate (66.57-69.58), and energy value (355.57-365.92 kcal/100 g). The mineral content (mg/100 g) included Fe (12.12-16.22), Zn (2.07-5.13), Ca (240.88-582.8), Mg (285.98-534.53), and K (1184.85-1599.99). Anti-nutrient content (mg/100 g) comprised tannins (8.46-13.16) and oxalates (8.77-12.52). The functional properties results (%) encompassed WAC (36.36-56.04) and OAC (35.46-54.65). The sensory evaluations of the porridge showed acceptable scores in appearance, aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptability. The study revealed that incorporating germinated haricot bean and teff flours into barley flour significantly enhanced its nutritional and functional properties, making it suitable for pregnant women.