Green tea-millets based multi-nutritive cookies: innovative formulation and nutritional analyses

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Functional Foods

Background:

• Conventional cookies often lack essential nutrients and beneficial bioactive compounds.
• There is a growing demand for healthier snack alternatives with enhanced nutritional profiles.
• Incorporating diverse plant-based ingredients can improve the functional properties of food products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a functional cookie (GC) using green tea leaves, wheatgrass, pearl millet flour, and a seed blend.
• To evaluate the physicochemical, nutritional, antioxidant, mineral, and sensory characteristics of the developed cookies.
• To identify the optimal formulation for a nutrient-dense cookie as a healthier alternative to refined flour cookies.

Main Methods:

• Three functional cookie formulations (GC-1, GC-2, GC-3) were prepared using green tea, wheatgrass, pearl millet, and a seed blend.
• Comparative analysis with a refined flour cookie control (RC-1).
• Assessment of physicochemical properties, nutritional content (protein, fiber), antioxidant activity (TFC, TPC), mineral content (zinc, iron, potassium), vitamin levels (C, B3), fatty acid profile (PUFA), cholesterol, and heavy metals.

Main Results:

• Formulation GC-1 exhibited significantly higher protein (10.55%), crude fiber (62.53%), and antioxidant activity (89.48%) compared to controls.
• GC-1 was rich in essential minerals like zinc (25.07 mg/kg), iron (2.07 mg/100g), and potassium (341.76 mg/100g), with low cholesterol.
• GC-1 achieved the highest sensory acceptability score (9.0), indicating good consumer appeal.

Conclusions:

• The functional cookie formulation GC-1, incorporating green tea, wheatgrass, pearl millet, and seeds, is a promising nutrient-dense food product.
• GC-1 demonstrates superior nutritional and antioxidant qualities compared to conventional refined flour cookies.
• Further clinical validation is recommended to confirm the health benefits of GC-1 as a functional food.