Optimization of Traditional Snack for Children, by Using Bio-Fortified Pearl Millet, Carrot and Sesame for Its Formulation

Purpose: Malnutrition has been a major setback for the development of various countries for a very long time. Together with insufficient food accessibility, unawareness about making the right food choices is also one of the contributing factors to malnourishment. Meeting up the nutritional requirements is extremely important for all the age groups and this arises the need for nutrient-dense food products.

Methodology: Keeping this in view, the study was planned for the utilization of biofortified pearl millet varieties (HHB-299 and Dhanshakti) for formulating a traditional snack (gulgule), with incorporation of carrot powder and sesame. Four combinations of gulgule were prepared based on both the varieties of pearl millet separately. Control- Without carrot powder and sesame, Type-1, Type-2, and Type-3 contained 20%, 30 and 40% of carrot powder, respectively and 20% sesame. Organoleptic evaluation of all variants was done based on a nine-point hedonic scale. Nutritional parameters including proximate composition and total minerals were assessed for variants with highest organoleptic scores.

Findings: All the variants were found acceptable in terms of organoleptic attributes and the highest scores were obtained for H-Type-2 gulgule. The nutritional composition was evaluated for Control and Type-2 variants based on both the varieties of pearl millet. The results for moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash, and crude fiber ranged from 30.65-32.62, 8.22-13.36, 33.86-39.18, 0.59-1.63 and 1.06-2.30 percent, respectively. Total mineral content increased significantly on the addition of carrot powder and sesame. The amount of calcium, iron, and zinc ranged between 39.44 & 320.33, 6.57 & 8.21, and 1.91. & 3.22 mg/100 g, respectively for both Control and Type-2.

Practical Implications: Just 50 grams of Type-2 gulgule accounts for almost 1/4thRDA of Calcium, iron, and zinc for 7-9 year children.

Value: The formulated product can be readily consumed by children, being rich in energy, protein, minerals, and β-carotene and convenient in preparation.