Effect of hydrocolloids on cooking quality, protein and starch digestibility of ready-to-cook gluten free extruded product

Abstract

Abstract: There is a raising popularity among the consumers for traditional foods due to their health benefits, and pearl millet is one among them.  Different types of pearl millet ready-to-cook product (vermicelli) were prepared using pearl millet semolina, defatted soya flour and three different types of hydrocolloids at 2% level and tested against the control (refined wheat flour based) vermicelli.  Cooking, sensory quality and nutritional composition including dietary fibre and in vitro digestibility were studied.  Though wheat based vermicelli assigned higher overall sensory score (8.2) than all the pearl millet formulations, there was no significant difference (P<0.05) between vermicelli with Guar Gum (GG) and Carboxy methyle Cellulose (CMC) and with refined wheat flour.  The dietary fiber content of hydrocolloids added pear millet vermicelli was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher than that of refined wheat flour.  The addition of hydrocolloids decreased the in vitro digestibility of protein and starch.  However the amount of protein (10.2 to 12.7 g/100 g) presented in the soya fortified vermicelli can outweigh the lower protein digestibility.  The present product is also suitable to celiac people within general population as a healthy breakfast item.  The study demonstrated that incorporation of hydrocolloids not only helped to improve the textural quality of the gluten free formulations but also enhanced the dietary fiber content and lowered the in vitro starch digestibility (IVSD).

Keywords: gluten free, millet, breakfast cereal, in vitro digestibility, dietary fibre