Development of powdered food with the addition of Spirulina for food supplementation of the elderly population

- The Spirulina shake contributes to the energy and nutrient requirements of elderly.
- Incorporation of microalgae does not influence the acceptance of the product.
- The shelf life of products with Spirulina is 19 months.

The elderly are prone to developing nutritional deficiencies of vitamins, minerals, and proteins as well as energy. The addition of Spirulina biomass to food is of interest because of the microalga's nutritional content. Therefore, this study sought to develop chocolate flavor shake-type powdered food, enriched with Spirulina. The chemical composition of the products was analyzed, and they were subjected to sensory testing and shelf life estimation. Food developed presented a mean 42% (w·w− 1) protein and 46% (w·w− 1) carbohydrates content. The average acceptance rates were 7.68 and 7.77, for shakes with and without Spirulina, respectively. The shelf life was estimated at 19 months for the product with incorporated biomass and 24 months for product without Spirulina. Sensory analysis showed that the addition of Spirulina in foods was well accepted by the target public. Products with added microalgal biomass can provide energy and protein and can contribute to the elderly population's nutritional requirements.Industrial relevanceThe preparation of food products for specific population groups pose major challenges for the food industry. These processes involve large investments in research, but tend to generate competitive advantages for the investing companies. One of the groups that deserve special attention are the elderly, who may present a number of specific nutritional deficiencies that must be supplied by diet. Within this scenario, the enrichment products for seniors with Spirulina becomes very interesting, because it makes food a source of protein and carbohydrates, as well as providing a number of dietary bioactive compounds, essential fatty acids and vitamins.