Journal of Advances in Food Science & Technology

Banana blossom is an edible flower rich in macro- and micronutrients. It also contains dietary fibre and antioxidants; therefore, it may be beneficial in managing diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and constipation. The present study aimed to develop a novel breakfast cereal enriched with banana blossom flour and to analyse its nutritional and sensory properties. Moreover, this study provides insight into process standardisation and supports technological advancement for commercial-scale production. The fresh blossoms were pre-treated with natural citric acid to avoid enzymatic browning by lowering the pH and inhibiting polyphenol oxidase. Four formulations of the product were prepared, and sensory evaluation was performed. Thirty untrained panellists evaluated the product using a hedonic scale. Among the formulations, F2, which contained 3 g of banana blossom flour, showed the best results. The sensory evaluation scores were statistically evaluated by ANOVA, which revealed that formulation F2 had the highest acceptability compared with all other formulations. Taste had the highest mean score of 8.60, whereas appearance, texture and smell each had a mean score of 8.57. The proximate analysis results showed relatively low moisture and fat contents of 4.00% and 4.95%, respectively, while the product proved to be a good source of plant protein (17.60%). It was also a rich source of carbohydrate and fibre, with values of 71.17% and 24.76%, respectively. These promising proximate and nutritional results indicate its suitability for incorporation into breakfast cereal. Rapid urbanisation has increased the demand for nutritionally rich ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. Commercially available variants are often high in added sugars and low in dietary fibre and other essential nutrients. Banana blossom, an underutilised agricultural by-product containing essential nutrients, enhances the nutritional quality of cereal and may support healthier food choices.