Nutritional profiling of instant analog rice made from edamame and seaweed flours: A mineral perspective

The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which reached 11.7% in Indonesia in 2023, reflects a growing trend of non-communicable diseases. This indicates the need to strengthen T2DM prevention strategies to reduce metabolic and nutritional risk factors among patients. Micronutrients such as magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc play important roles in glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. The development of nutritionally balanced foods has been explored, specifically instant analog rice made from edamame, which contributes magnesium (600 mg/kg) and zinc (32.8 mg/kg), and seaweed, which provides calcium (3200 mg/kg) and iron (45.6 mg/kg). This study aimed to determine the differences in magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc content among various formulations of instant analog rice. The research employed a True Experimental design with a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), consisting of four groups: F0 (commercial instant rice) and formulations of edamame flour to seaweed flour ratios, namely F1 (40%:60%), F2 (50%:50%), and F3 (60%:40%). The results showed that calcium and iron contents among the treatment groups were significantly different (p < 0.05), while magnesium and zinc contents showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). The best formulation was F3, consisting of 60% edamame flour and 40% seaweed flour, with magnesium content of 63 mg/kg, calcium 320 mg/kg, iron 38.49 mg/kg, and zinc 16.41 mg/kg. Comparative analysis between F0 and F3 showed a significant difference in all parameters. These results indicate that instant analog rice based on edamame and seaweed is a promising mineral-rich food ingredient; further research on mineral bioavailability, sensory acceptance, and clinical outcomes is recommended.