Baphiralang Wahlang ¹, Neena Joshi ¹, K. G. Vijayalaxmi ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, IN

Abstract

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) consumption remains restricted only to certain parts of the population due to lack of information on its potential role in value addition and also in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and others. The unavailability of ready-to-cook food products from foxtail millet also constricts its usage. Foxtail millet is traditionally dehusked before consumption. Dehusking is essential because the outer layer is fibrous, tough and causes irritation while swallowing. However in the present study, to compensate the losses of phytochemicals present in the outer husk, edible coatings (gum acacia, fenugreek seeds, curry leaf and aloe vera) were applied on the dehusked grain. Further, a Ready-to-Cook (RTC) pulao mix was standardized using edible coated foxtail millet, dehydrated vegetables, herbs and spices. Controls used were rice and uncoated foxtail millet. Products were evaluated organoleptically by semi-trained panellists. The highest overall acceptability was for the control rice pulao mix (7.8) followed by curry leaf coated mix (7.3), uncoated mix (7.1), fenugreek seeds coated mix (7.0), gum acacia coated mix (6.9) and then aloe vera coated mix (6.8). The shelf life of pulao mix was also studied. Samples were packed in High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) pouches and stored at ambient conditions for three months. No microbial load was found in all the fresh samples. In both the controls- rice and uncoated millet, yeast was found at the 90^th day of storage whereas no yeast was found in the coated samples

Keywords

Foxtail Millet, Edible Coatings, RTC Pulao Mix, Sensory Evaluation, Acceptability, Storage Study.

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