Millets possess high nutritious profile as they are rich in protein, calcium, and dietary fiber. Millets are a group of small-seeded grasses which belong to Poaceae family and have gained recognition as an important food crop due to their potential to alleviate malnutrition and food insecurity. In recent years, the rising demand and consumption of millets have been driven by increased awareness of health benefits. However, they also contain significant amounts of antinutritional factors that must be removed to prevent health hazards. Innovative technological approaches are needed in pre- and postprocessing of millets for value addition, aiming to enhance their utilization and market appeal. Conventional methods such as soaking, heating, puffing, roasting, extrusion, fermentation, and malting have been employed in developing ready-to-eat millet-based snacks and breakfast cereals for improving texture and digestibility while preserving nutritional content. In addition to conventional methods, recent advancements in food processing technologies such as ultrasound, high pressure processing, cold plasma, ohmic heating, microwave processing, and irradiation also play a crucial role in enhancing nutrient bioavailability, cooking properties, storage stability, and microbial safety of value-added products in a sustainable approach. By exploring these innovative approaches, the chapter aims to provide comprehensive insights into the potential of millets as versatile ingredients for developing nutritious, functional, and market-oriented food products. It also highlights the transformative potential of advanced processing technologies in elevating millets from traditional staples to high-valued health-promoting ingredients while emphasizing the need for further research to optimize processes and ensure consumer acceptance.

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Value Addition in Millets: Exploring Novel Technological Approaches

  • V. R. Bharathvaj,
  • Praveena B,
  • R. B. Ramyaa,
  • P. Nandavarman

摘要

Millets possess high nutritious profile as they are rich in protein, calcium, and dietary fiber. Millets are a group of small-seeded grasses which belong to Poaceae family and have gained recognition as an important food crop due to their potential to alleviate malnutrition and food insecurity. In recent years, the rising demand and consumption of millets have been driven by increased awareness of health benefits. However, they also contain significant amounts of antinutritional factors that must be removed to prevent health hazards. Innovative technological approaches are needed in pre- and postprocessing of millets for value addition, aiming to enhance their utilization and market appeal. Conventional methods such as soaking, heating, puffing, roasting, extrusion, fermentation, and malting have been employed in developing ready-to-eat millet-based snacks and breakfast cereals for improving texture and digestibility while preserving nutritional content. In addition to conventional methods, recent advancements in food processing technologies such as ultrasound, high pressure processing, cold plasma, ohmic heating, microwave processing, and irradiation also play a crucial role in enhancing nutrient bioavailability, cooking properties, storage stability, and microbial safety of value-added products in a sustainable approach. By exploring these innovative approaches, the chapter aims to provide comprehensive insights into the potential of millets as versatile ingredients for developing nutritious, functional, and market-oriented food products. It also highlights the transformative potential of advanced processing technologies in elevating millets from traditional staples to high-valued health-promoting ingredients while emphasizing the need for further research to optimize processes and ensure consumer acceptance.