Formulation and Evaluation of Ready-to-Reconstitute Smoothie Mix with Little Millet

Abstract

The urbanization, fast-paced lifestyle, improved income and globetrotting have spurred the adoption of convenience foods in India. Value addition to millets promotes their production, marketing and offers good opportunities to farmers for better income generation. Little millet is an indigenous nutricereal widely cultivated across India yet underutilised and often misquoted as poor man’s crop. Till date not much research was done to develop a nourishing millet based smoothie mix. In the present investigation, a ready-to-reconstitute smoothie mix was developed with the most organoleptically acceptable formulation being 45% malted-pre-gelatinized little millet flour, 45% milk powder and 10% sugar. The developed mix possessed a good amount of protein (12.89 g/100 g) and exhibited improved dispersibility (88.97%), reduced sediment content (2.95 mL/10 mL) and reconstitution time (81.82 sec) compared to control. It can be readily reconstituted with fruit juices or pulps to prepare smoothies, which could serve as a healthy addition to one’s daily diet. The mix was shelf-stable upto 45 days without much deterioration in physicochemical and microbial quality. The lower moisture content (4.81%) and water activity (0.48) indicate good shelf-stability of the developed mix. The developed smoothie mix could enhance the utilization of little millets, locally available seasonal fruits and promote dietary diversification.