Emerging Technologies in Millet Processing

Maximizing the nutritional benefits and extending the shelf life of millets is crucial due to their rich nutrient profile and health-promoting properties. However, challenges such as rapid rancidity in millet-based products highlight the need for efficient processing techniques to enhance preservation and global accessibility. This chapter explores the effects of various processing methods, including mechanical processing, germination, fermentation, and novel thermal treatments like microwave processing, extrusion, infrared heating, ohmic heating, and radio frequency. Moreover, emerging nonthermal methods, such as ultrasound processing, cold plasma, gamma irradiation, pulsed light, and high-pressure processing, affect different millets' nutritional value and storage stability. These techniques' principles, benefits, and limitations emphasize their role in improving millet-based product longevity. While traditional methods alter nutritional and functional properties, prompting the search for alternatives, innovative thermal and nonthermal approaches offer solutions for shelf-life extension. However, advancements in millet processing still face challenges, including nutrient loss, quality changes, high resource demands, consumer acceptance, environmental concerns, standardization issues, regulatory compliance, and limited research on integrated processing methods.