Abstract
Today, the lack of a proper nutritional formulation of the diet for soldiers is well felt. In this study, a newly formulated food supplement (FFS) was designed to supply all essential nutrients like protein, carbohydrate, oil, fat-soluble vitamins, and minerals, and Lepidium sativum L. seed (shahi) gum and Amygdalus scoparia Spach (zedo) gum were applied to FFS to promote physicochemical and sensory properties of FFS. The samples were developed by preparing emulsion including meat powder (45.0 g/100 g), soybean powder (25.0 g/100 g), and plant oils (15.0 g/100 g). Iron, zinc, and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) were also added to the formulation, and response surface methodology was used to optimize the effects of shahi and zedo gum at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g/100 g in FFS. The results showed that using hydrocolloids in appropriate amounts enhanced the sensory properties of FFS. Hydrocolloids protected the moisture content of FFS samples and also decreased the reduction of vitamins and minerals during 14 days of storage at 4°C. The hydrocolloids improved the color indices and intrinsic viscosity of samples. The results of this study recommend the use of 1.26 g/100 g of shahi gum and 0.95 g/100 g of zedo gum to produce formulated food supplement for soldiers. This formulation supplies calories and provides some of the essential vitamins and food components to the body.