Vol. 8, Issue 4 (2019)

Author(s):
Shivangi Khatri and Shweta Singh

Abstract:
The increasing consciousness of the consumers towards health and nutrition has led to a greater demand of nutrition rich processed foods. In addition to this the rise in global temperatures and climate change has brought forward various food safety issues. Millets being rich in nutrients along with the ability to grow in dry and low rainfall area within a short period of time have the potential to meet the requirements of the consumers as well as aid in solving the food safety crisis in the long run. Barnyard millet is one of the millet which was traditionally consumed instead of rice in many areas. Despite of being a nutritious food grain, there has been a rapid decline in its production since the green revolution. Noodles are processed food enjoying tremendous popularity all around the globe. The fortification of barnyard millet in noodle flours or the processing of noodles entirely using millet flour will further increase the nutritional content and the demand of the already popular food. This will also boost the cultivation of the underutilized barnyard millet. The biggest hurdle to achieving this may be the absence of gluten in the barnyard millet flour. Other than this, in terms of nutrition composition, the millet compares to other cereals and has significantly higher mineral content. The color and texture of the millet added noodles will also vary from the commonly available wheat noodlesmay be considered equivalent when being used as an adjuvant in mucoadhesive drug delivery systems.