An Assessment of Public Awareness and Knowledge About Millet Microgreens: A Survey-Based Study

Millet microgreens are novel functional foods which combine nutrient density and climatic resilience of millets with bioactive-rich profile of microgreens. Although they have the potential to enhance health, sustainability and food security, there is limited knowledge and consumption by the population. The paper was intended to evaluate knowledge, awareness, perception, and consumption behaviour of millet microgreens among the general population. It was conducted using a descriptive, online, self-administered questionnaire (Google Forms) and received more than 250 responses on different age, gender, and educational groups. Awareness levels, information sources, perceived health benefits, frequency of consumption, preferences, and barriers to use were used to analyze data using descriptive statistics. The general knowledge of millet microgreens was moderate, particularly among younger and more educated participants, but the level of nutritional knowledge and actual consumption was poor. The social media was the most common source of information, then it was family and peers, showing the impact of online platforms and social networks on food preferences. The majority of the respondents perceived millet microgreens to be healthier than regular vegetables and related them to better immunity and prevention of diseases, but said that they rarely or seldom ate them, which is a clear discrepancy between positive attitude and eating. The major challenges identified were the lack of availability in the market, perceived expensive price and the inability to know how to cook with millet microgreens. Positively, a significant proportion of the respondents showed interest in cultivating millet microgreens at their homes, which means that there is a high potential of uptake at the household level with the provision of specific nutrition education, practical advice, and access enhancement programs.