Influence of γ-irradiation and genotype on the structural and techno-functional properties and microbial quality of Millet flour.

Barnyard (Echinochloautilis), Finger (Eleusinecoracana), Foxtail (Setaria italic), Kodo (Paspalumsetaceum) Little (Panicum sumatrense), Pearl (Pennisetumglaucum), and Proso (Penicummiliaceum) millets are staple foods for Indian and African diets. Post harvest handling primarily the storage conditions during rainy season leads to significant losses of millets in Asia and Africa. Poor storage conditions during rainy seasons lead to germination and fungal growth due to poor storage infrastructure facilities in Asia and Africa. To prevent food losses and to understand the irradiation influence on biopolymer functionality, the millets were irradiated at a dosage of 2.5 and 5 kGy at 12% and 14% moisture contents and milled to prepare the flour. The flour was analysed for microbial count and changes in structural and functional properties to understand the implications on end-use. Post irradiation, oil absorption, emulsion capacity, and water absorption decreased significantly...