Development of a convenient, nutritious ready to cook packaged product using millets with a batch scale process...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutrition
• Sustainable Agriculture

Background:

• Growing consumer demand for clean labels, convenience, and nutritious foods.
• Increasing market presence of ready-to-cook (RTC) food products with a CAGR exceeding 18%.
• Need for sustainable food options aligning with the Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) segment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop sustainable ready-to-cook millet-based foods (khichdi and upma).
• To optimize processing parameters for millet grains.
• To evaluate nutritional content, shelf life, and scalability for potential women's enterprises.

Main Methods:

• Dry roasting of foxtail and little millet grains.
• Optimization of roasting conditions (110°C for 18 minutes) to achieve <4% moisture.
• Nutritional analysis, organoleptic evaluation, packaging, shelf-life studies, and pilot-scale batch trials.

Main Results:

• Optimal roasting conditions identified for improved organoleptic properties and reduced moisture.
• Developed RTC millet mixes are rich in protein, dietary fiber, and minerals.
• Products exhibit good shelf life at ambient temperatures without additives, suitable for small-scale production.

Conclusions:

• Successfully developed nutritious and convenient RTC millet khichdi and upma meeting clean-label demands.
• The process is scalable for small-scale production, presenting opportunities for women's enterprises.
• The products align with health, sustainability, and convenience trends in the food market.