Development and quality evaluation of retort processed RTE functional gluten free foxtail millet halwa

Sa？etak The present study focuses on the replacement of wheat and the development of ethnic RTE Indian products. Gluten, a protein complex present in wheat, causes celiac disease and gluten sensitivity in people. Foxtail Millet is one such cereal, which can be substituted for wheat due to its availability and nutritional importance. Halwa is a delicious sweet dessert rich in fat and carbohydrates, which is prepared mainly in North India. Through retort processing, the shelf life of halwa can be increased to make these products available for an increased period. The RTE foxtail millet halwa was prepared and retorted to the total lethality value of 5.26 minutes. Retorting has significantly reduced the total microbial population and much less physico-chemical changes were recorded after processing, when compared to the control. The retorted products were stored under refrigerated and ambient conditions and the changes in physico-chemical properties were evaluated. During the storage period, the shelf life study revealed that there were much less significant changes in the physico-chemical properties under both storage conditions. Though, there was a comparatively equal amount of changes occurring in both the refrigerated storage and ambient storage conditions, the appearance and texture of the products stored in ambient storage conditions rather than in refrigerated conditions were found to be good. Hence, ambient storage conditions can be suggested for storage of these products after retorting