Abstract
M.Tech. (Food Technology)
Millet is extensively grown in sub Saharan Africa (SSA) where it is used as food for an estimated 400 million people. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) constitutes 40% of the world’s millet production. Although, pearl millet is cultivated worldwide, it is grossly underutilized, with limited food uses. Its food uses have been confined only to traditional consumers especially to areas of their cultivation. This is mainly due to non-availability of consumer friendly and ready-to-use food products. Considering the prospects, nutritional value and health benefits of this cereal grain, there is need to explore the potentials embedded in it. Through the desirable modification of pearl millet using fermentation and malting and the subsequent delivery of acceptable ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.
Fermentation is one of the oldest methods used to process and improve the nutritional qualities of cereals. Particularly in developing countries, where refrigeration is not always available, the fermentation process is widely used and of crucial importance. Fermentation prolongs the shelf-life of foods and has been reported to increase the protein content and digestibility of millet. Furthermore, fermentation improves the nutritive value, bioavailability of minerals and decreases the concentration of ant-nutritional factors such as phytic acid. Malting of grains on the other hand causes increased activities of endogenous hydrolytic enzymes, through which there is an improvement in nutritional quality acceptability of foods. This study was thus aimed at investigating the effects of malting and fermenting pearl millet on physico-chemical, nutritional and sensory properties of pearl millet flours and resultant biscuits. Pearl millet grains were fermented and malted to produce flours, after which these flours including the native one (milled pearl millet grains) were further processed into a 100% pearl millet-based biscuit.
The results from the study indicated that fermentation and malting significantly (p 0.05) increased the oil absorption capacity (OAC), water absorption capacity (WAC) and swelling capacity (SC) with a consequent significant (p 0.05) decrease in bulk density. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed slight increase in the crystallinity of the fermented and malted samples, while the baked biscuits had a relatively reduced crystallinity. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra showed changes and increase in the intensity of prominent bands (O–H, C – H, C=O, C–N), while a modification from an irregular-compact structure to a regular-loose cellular...