Hot air–assisted radio frequency hybrid technology for inactivating lipase in pearl millet

Thermal and Nonthermal Processing of Pearl Millet Flour: Impact on Microbial Safety, Enzymatic Stability, Nutrients, Functional Properties, and Shelf-Life Extension

Pearl millet is a gluten-free grain with several beneficial elements. It is more nutritious than other grains like corn, sorghum, and rice. Because of its low glycemic index, it is suitable for people with celiac disease and diabetes. However, due to its limited shelf-life, it has less market demand. Milled flour cannot be kept for more than a week due to rancidity and off-flavor. Another constraint is the presence of antinutritional substances in the grain, such as phytates and tannins. Various approaches for increasing the shelf-life of pearl millet flour (PMF) have been used in recent years. The most common thermal procedures include roasting, dry heating, steam treatment, and blanching. Malting and germination were effective in lowering antinutritional factors and enzyme activity. Ultrasound and cold plasma are nonthermal methods employed to decrease rancidity in pearl millet. Dry heat treatment, blanching, microwave treatment, addition of antioxidants, and hydrothermal treatment extend shelf-life by up to 30 days. A combination of different techniques, such as hydrothermal and near-infrared or irradiation, can extend the shelf-life up to 90 days. This review focuses on practical and efficient strategies for stakeholders to enhance the shelf life of PMF by reducing antinutrient factors without affecting nutritional properties. It focuses more on nutritional security and the sustainability of the process.

Maximizing the Nutritional Benefits and Prolonging the Shelf Life of Millets through Effective Processing Techniques: A Review

Maximizing the nutritional benefits and extending the shelf life of millets is essential due to their ancient significance, rich nutrient content, and potential health benefits, but challenges such as rapid rancidity in millet-based products underscore the need for effective processing techniques to enhance their preservation and global accessibility. In this comprehensive review, the impact of diverse processes and treatments such as mechanical processing, fermentation, germination, soaking, thermal treatments like microwave processing, infrared heating, radio frequency, nonthermal treatments like ultrasound processing, cold plasma, gamma irradiation, pulsed light processing, and high-pressure processing, on the nutritional value and the stability during storage of various millets has been examined. The review encompasses an exploration of their underlying principles, advantages, and disadvantages. The technologies highlighted in this review have demonstrated their effectiveness in maximizing and extending the shelf life of millet-based products. While traditional processes bring about alterations in nutritional and functional properties, prompting the search for alternatives, novel thermal and nonthermal techniques were identified for microbial decontamination and enzyme inactivation. Advancements in millet processing face challenges including nutrient loss, quality changes, resource intensiveness, consumer perception, environmental impact, standardization issues, regulatory compliance, and limited research on combined methods.