SEMI-COOKED AND DRIED READY-TO-COOK PORRIDGE FROM PROCESSED FINGER MILLET (ELEUSINE CORACANA)

摘要

Biologically active compounds present in fermented millet before and after processing (germination and fermentation) is important to the food and pharmaceutical industries. Currently millets and bioactive compounds have received growing attention for their implications in human health. It is now universally accepted that polyphenols and gut micro-flora play an important role in maintaining the body healthy by releasing small molecules with biological action which affect the overall immune system activity, metabolic pathways and oxidative balance. The antimicrobial activity of polyphenolic bioactive compounds can be assessed by agar well-diffusion or agar disc-diffusion method. It can be assessed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy. Products are exposed to certain temperature and time (controlled conditions) to achieve desirable moisture content without affecting its texture and nutritional values. Ready-to-eat foods do not require additional processing to ensure food safety. There are several categories in ready-to-eat foods. They are raw or partially cooked animal origin food products or washed raw fruits and vegetables or plant derived substance like spice, sugar and seasonings as well as potentially hazardous foods that are cooked to a certain temperature and time.