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Optimization of nutrient-enriched edible bowl formulation using response surface methodology
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Scientists created an edible bowl made from wheat, sorghum, millet, and water chestnut flours that's packed with protein, iron, and calcium, offering a tasty way to boost nutrition while eating. Unlike plastic tableware, which sheds microplastics linked to health concerns, this bowl fully breaks down in soil within about a week, making it a promising swap for single-use plastics. The research is still in the recipe-testing stage (done in a lab, not yet on store shelves), but it points to a future where your dinnerware could nourish you and the planet instead of polluting it.
Single-use plastic tableware contributes substantially to non-biodegradable waste and microplastic pollution, highlighting the need for sustainable edible alternatives that can also help address micronutrient deficiencies. In this study, a nutrient-enriched edible bowl was developed using varying proportions of wheat, sorghum, ragi (finger millet) and water chestnut flours, supplemented with skimmed milk powder, sugar, salt, guar gum, butter, and beetroot juice. A four-factor, five-level Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) comprising 30 experimental runs was employed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to evaluate the effects of wheat flour (2.5-12.5 g/100 g), sorghum flour (5-15 g/100 g), ragi flour (5-15 g/100 g) and water chestnut flour (5-15 g/100 g) on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of the bowl. Numerical optimization targeted minimum moisture content and water absorption capacity (WAC), along with maximum true protein, iron (Fe), calcium (Ca) and overall acceptability. The optimized formulation contained 5.82 g/100 g wheat flour, 11.52 g/100 g sorghum flour, 7.50 g/100 g ragi flour and 12.50 g/100 g water chestnut flour, achieving a desirability of 0.76. The predicted values were 9.25% moisture, 20.03% WAC, 6.36% true protein, 32.33 mg/kg Fe, 1162.36 mg/kg Ca and 7.57 overall acceptability. The optimized bowl completely biodegraded in soil within 6-7 days, demonstrating its potential as a nutritious, functional and environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional plastic tableware.
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