Development of edible multigrain bowls by processing castoff wild pomegranate seed powder

Wild pomegranate seeds, commonly left as processing waste, were utilized for the preparation of multigrain edible bowls by converting them into powder and mixing the powder with wheat and barley flour and jaggery as a replacement to throwaway plastic bowls. Wild pomegranate seed powder was added in different ratios from 5% to 20% in multigrain edible bowls, which increased enhanced the total phenolic content from 1,397.64 ± 15.54 to 1,552.62 ± 21.67 µg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g dry weight and antioxidant activity from 38.22% ± 1.82% to 49.21% ± 2.36%, demonstrating possible functional health advantages. Multigrain bowls with 20% pomegranate seed powder exhibited the lowest levels of oil absorption (5.73% ± 0.13%) and water absorption (7.64% ± 0.43%). The moisture content ranged from 9.69% ± 0.51% for the control to 13.50% ± 0.46% for multigrain bowls made from 20% pomegranate seed powder. Decomposition also increased from 26.76% ± 1.03% for the control multigrain treatment to 40.46% ± 1.69% biodegradability for the 20% pomegranate seed treatment after 15 days, indicating a notable environmental benefit over traditional plastic flatware. The 15% pomegranate seed treatment was found to have the best textural qualities by texture profile analysis, with a hardness of 4.69 ± 0.28 Kgf and superior sensory traits with the highest overall acceptance scores of 7.73 out of 9 according to a sensory evaluation. Wild pomegranate seed powder-based multigrain edible bowls' functional, nutritional, and sensory aspects may make them a sustainable alternative to traditional throwaway plastic tableware.