Processing, Value Addition and Storage of Millets

Millets are considered wonder foods or Nutri-cereals owing to their nutritive value and their lower glycemic index value more so than other major cereals. The current lifestyle requires us to have low glycemic index food, packed with minerals, better protein, and a fatty acid profile. Despite their nutritional punch, these cereals are not popular due to their limited shelf life both in processed and semi-processed forms due to their high lipase activity. Moreover, the presence of some anti-nutritional factors such as tannins, phytates, trypsin inhibitors, and in some cases the development of hydro cyanogenic acid due to fungal infection, renders it unsuitable for consumption, or at least poses health hazards. Technological advances have made them more palatable, nutritionally balanced, and safe for consumption. Several processes, such as germination, fermentation, malting, extrusion, popping, roasting, and baking can help eliminate the anti-nutritional factors. The several different modifications made to millet starch can open new avenues for its uses in different sectors.

Original articles or reviews with new findings including, but not limited to, the following topics are welcome:

Millet-based product development
Machinery development for millet processing
Millet by-production utilization
Millet starch modification
Thermal and non-thermal processing of millets
Technologies for Shelf life enhancement
Technology for ant-nutritional factor reduction
Process modelling