ASSIGNMENT NO.

4
1. Briefly describe nutritive value of finger millet

The nutritive value of finger millet is higher than that of rice and other cereals. The
husk forms 5.6 % of the grain. The average composition is also follows; moisture, 13.1;
protein, 7.1; fat, 1.3; carbohydrate s, 76.3; and mineral matter, 2.2%. The protein content of
the grain varies 6-9%, depending on the variety. Finger millet is a rich source of calcium in
which other common cereals are deficient. It is a good source of niacin and riboflavin.

Proteins consist of a mixture of globulins, prolamin and glutelin. About 30% of the
nitrogen present in the grain (mostly in the husk) is not extracted even by dilute sodium
hydroxide. The protein is a fair to good source of all essential amino acids, the limiting amino
acids, being lysine and threonine.

2. Write short notes on following

A. Uncooked breakfast cereals:
Uncooked breakfast cereals are processed in two general ways-1) the reduction in
particle size, 2) the elimination from the product of some of the fibrous substances found in
the whole grain. Their processing reduces the cooking time and improves the texture and
digestibility of the food. Recent technological advances have resulted in reducing the cooking
time to the point where addition of boiling water to packed food will give a fully prepared
product.
The important wheat product extensively used in India in the preparation of a variety
of breakfast foods (e.g., uppuma) is semolina. This is also the largest consumed wheat
product in other countries under the name of “farina”. The cooking time of farina has been
reduced by the addition of disodium phosphate and an “instant” farina is in the market. This
is ready to eat after a minimum boiling time. Farinas flavored with malt and cocoa are also
marketed.
Bulger is another wheat preparation which is excellent for breakfast it is extensively
used in West Asian countries. This is prepared by a multistage cooking process by spraying
water. When starch is partially gelatinized (moisture content is 40%) the material is cooled
and dried. The pearled product is cracked. Bulger takes more time to cook than the refined
cereal product. But it can be cooked to prepare several dishes usually made from rice. Hence
it is used as a substitute for rice.
Oat cereal is most commonly consumed as oatmeal and rolled cats. These are used to
make porridge. The starch in oatmeal is un-gelatinized and the particles are relatively coarse
in size. Consequently, the preparation of porridge from oatmeal requires prolonged heating.
Rolled oats (oat fakes) are particularly cooked (1/3 starch is gelatinized) during manufacture.
Thus, porridge making from rolled oats requires only a brief cooking time
Maize cereals, maize meals and hominy grits are used as hot breakfast cereals. In
some countries corn meal mixed with whole soybean meal is used as food.
Whole milled rice is occasionally cooked as breakfast cereal. Instant rice is in the market
which is used as breakfast cereal. This consists of rice milled into particles of the size of
semolina. Because of the size the product is an instant cooking. It does not require any
heating apart from the addition of boiling water.
B. Ready-to-eat cereals
These include flaked, puffed, shredded and granular products, generally made from
wheat, maize or rice. Sometimes oats and barley are also used the basic cereal may be
enriched with sugar, syrup, honey or malt extract. All types are prepared by processing which
tends to cause dextrinization rather than gelatinization of the starch.
a) Flaked cereals:
Wheat, maize (corn) and rice are the commonly used cereals. In the case of wheat or
rice, the whole grain is cleaned, conditioned to suitable moisture content and lightly pressed
between smooth rollers to fracture the outer layers. Whole wheat or rice so prepared or maize
grits is cooked under pressure and the flavourings are added. The cooked cereal is then dried
to 15-20% moisture. The conditioned grain is flaked between heavy flaking rolls and the
flakes are then toasted.
b) Puffed cereals:
Whole grain wheat, rice and oats are cleaned and conditioned. They are then fed into
an externally heated, sealed pressure chamber. Steam is injected to raise the internal pressure
in the chamber to about 14 kg/cm2 and then suddenly released by opening the chamber when
owing to the expansion of water vapour the grain is blown up to several times its original
size. Alternatively, dough made from maize meal or oat flour blended with rye flour and
flavourings, such as malt and cocoa, is cooked under pressure and pelleted. These pellets can
be used for puffing in place of whole grains.
c) Shredded products:
Mostly, wheat is used to prepare this product. Wheat is cooked in water to gelatinize
starch. The cooked grain is cooled and rested for some hours for conditioning. The
conditioned grain is fed into shredders and the material emerging as long parallel shreds are
received on a slowly travelling band. A thick mat is built up by the superimposition of several
layers. The mat is then cut into desired shapes and baked at 200C for 20 min.
d) Granular products:
These are prepared from wheat. Dough is made of yeasted whole meal, wheat flour
and malted barley flour. The dough is fermented for about 5 hours and the bread is baked.
The bread is then broken up, dried and ground to desired fineness.
Flaked and puffed cereal products can be sugar-coated. Sucrose syrup containing
other sugars (e.g., honey0 is used for the purpose. The cereal particles are placed in a bowl,
and as it rotates, molten sugar syrup is slowly dripped upon the mass. By proper technique, a
product with a hard transparent coating that does not become sticky even under humid
conditions can be obtained.

C. Fermented products based on rice:

1) Idli: The product is a steamed pudding from a thick fermented batter of rice and a
split dehusked pulse, black gram (Phaseolus mungo). The two ingredients are soaked and
ground separately in a stone pestle and mortar; salted to taste, and allowed to ferment
 overnight for 12-18 hours. The mixture rises and is then steamed in flat plates or perforated
cups when soft, spongy, tasty and easily digestible idlies are obtained.
To avoid the labour of wet grinding both the constituents, the practice of dry
grinding of rice in to semolina has been developed. For the best acceptability, texture and
quality of idli, the proportion of rice to black-gram dhal is 2:1. The proportion of water used
is between 2:1—2:2 parts of water per unit dry weight of the mix.
2) Dosa: Dosa is another common fermented product used in India. This is prepared
from a fermented batter of rice and pulses in the proportions ranging from 6:1 to 10:1. Both
the ingredients are finely ground, unlike in the idli batter, which contains the rice component
in a coarse consistency. The dosa batter is very thin and dosa is baked on a hot pan. The
thickness of the dosa pancake depends upon the consistency of the batter. Thin batter gives a
thin pancake, although it may stick to the pan.
3) Appam: Appam is a fermented rice pancake, and is a specialty of the South
Indian Coastal State of Kerala. It has a soft spongy middle, laced with crispy edges. Rice
powder is mixed with water and yeast, and the batter is left to ferment for 6 hours. The batter
is poured into a vessel called appachatti and tossed with oil to make a circular appam. It is
usually eaten with a side dish made of coconut called chutney, or with sweetened coconut
milk. It can also be served with stew, or typically with kadala-a spicy dish made with Bengal
gram.
4) Dhokla: Dhokla is a fermented food prepared from rice and Bengal gram. This is
popular in Western India, particularly Gujarat. This is prepared from a batter of coursly
ground rice and Bengal gram dhal allowed to ferment at low temperature. The fermented
batter is steamed in a pie dish, cut into diamond shapes and seasoned.
5) Other fermented products: Some other fermented foods based on rice used in
the country are ambali, prepared from a thick fermented batter of finger millet flour and rice,
kanji (ganji), fermented surplus water from cooked rice, and fermented rice or kali, which is
leftover cooked rice to which water is added and the mixture allowed to ferment overnight.
D. Macaroni products
Macaroni product, also termed pasta products, include macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli,
noodles and other similar products. Pasta products are made from semolina of durum wheat
or other hard wheats. Vermicelli is produced from suji mainly on a cottage industry scale and
used in the preparation of sweat dishes like milk vermicelli puddings. Rice-like macaroni
products, such as “mock rice” and rycena,” are used as rice substitutes in times of rice
scarcity. Fortified and nutritionally satisfactory macaroni products can be manufactured and
made available in an acceptable form.
In the manufacture of macaroni, the semolina is made into a stiff dough using 25-30%
of water on semolina weight, at 32 0-380C. the dough is then extruded at high pressure through
appropriate dye to make tubes or strap-shaped products. Heavy pressure ensures that the
product is translucent and free from air bubbles. Finally the product is dried at controlled
temperatures and humidity and cut into desired lengths.

3. Explain structure and nutrient composition of sorghum

Structure and composition: the structure of the grain of sorghum is similar to that of
other cereals, consisting of an embryo, a relatively large scutellum and endosperm, enclosed
 in a seed coat (testa) and a fruit-coat (pericarp). The testa and pericarp are fused together. In
the pericarp and in some cases beneath the pericarp, there is a layer of pigment.
The sorghum grain is smaller and rounded, varying in colour from off-white to
varying shades of red, yellow or brown. The grain size varies, the weight ranging from 7.0 to
61 g/1000 grains, with most sorghums weighing 20-30 g/1000 grains.
The chemical composition of grain sorghum is similar to that of maize. Generally,
sorghum has more protein than maize, a lower fat content and about the same amount and
proportions of carbohydrate components. The proximate analysis of Indian sorghum grain
indicates moisture, 11.9; protein, 10.4; fat, 1.9; fiber, 1.6; carbohydrates, 72.6 and minerals,
1.6%. Minerals present in the grain are calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.

4. Mention alternative usage of value addition to minor millet

Alternative usage of minor millet in development of
a. Composite flours for unleavened breads, gruels
b. Snack foods-popped/puffed, roasted, flaked, fried
c. Convenience foods-ready mixes
d. Quick cooking grains
e. Malted mixes-supplementary foods
f. Breakfast foods-roasted, powdered products, fermented products
g. Extruded products-noodles, vermicelli
h. Bakery products-muffins, biscuits, cookies
i. Dehydrated products-papads, vadiums
j. Starch-soup mixes, puddings
k. Malt extract-medicines, malt vinegars
l. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
m. Space foods

5. Give flow chart for preparation of infant mix

Sorghum grain Row materials Soyabean

Clean (from extraneous matter) Clean

Soak in water (4-5 hours) Dehull

Boil (for 15 min @ 80-90 0C) Soak (in water 3 times the volume)
 Sundry (for 24-48 hours) Boil (for 30 min @ 100 0c)

Dehull Sundry (48-72 hours)

Clean (from husk) Mill

Mill Soya Flour

Sieve (to separate flour from rava) Roasted (@ 80 0C for 10 min)

Sorghum rava 25 g of roasted soya flour

Roast (@ 100 0C for 15 min)

70 g of roasted sorghum rava

Sugar Mixing SMP (5 g)

Packing Vitamin and mineral mix

Fig.1 Flow chart for preparation of infant mix

6. Discuss processing technologies for value addition of minor millets.

Some techniques which could be adopted for value addition of minor millet are
a. Dehulling
b. Soaking and germination
c. Flaking
d. Fermentation
e. Malting
f. Baking
g. Extrusion
a. Dehulling: pearling of millets is often done using conventional method by pounding in a
mortar using a pestle to remove the outer bran. This is a very labourious, time and energy
consuming process. Dehusking by conventional process resulting in loss of food value and
nutritional quality which cannot be controlled. The quality of product obtained by
conventional dehusking process is often not very good because of incomplete removal of
bran. Use of appropriate dehulling devices and improved milling methods can upgrade the
appearance and eating quality by removal of the unpalatable and rough bran. The polished
grains obtained are attractive with creamy to white colour. The milled grains could be easily
cooked for consumption or ground into fine flour for various end uses.
b. Puffing: puffing of cereals has been practiced for use as snack food either after spicing or
sweetening. Millets such as sorghum, bajra and ragi have been popped and used in the
preparation of infant weaning foods. The puffed material has a low bulk density and pleasing
texture with a distinct appealing flavour. Refining of the puffed product especially from ragi
is necessary to obtain low bran product of good eating quality. The roasted puffed grains can
be used as snack after spicing whereas the powdered product can be consumed as moistened
solid, semi-solid paste or as drink after dispersing in water. Popping is especially suitable for
pearl millet, since the high temperature short time treatment may inactive lipase enhance its
keeping quality.
c. Flaking: flaked grains make excellent snack food. The flow chart for preparation of
millet flakes is as shown in fig.
Prematured millet grains

Partial roasting

Flattening

Cleaning
Seasoning
Flattened product Deep fat frying Fried snack product
d. Fermentation: