Development and nutritional evaluation of proso millet-based convenience mix for infants and children

Two convenience mixes suitable for five different types of baby foods based on proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) were developed. Malting and popping we re used as processing techniques, Malted convenience mix was further used a s multipurpose flour for development of different baby foods. These five ba by food products were sweet gruel, salty gruel, helwa, burfi and biscuits. The nutritional quality of mixes was analyzed for moisture, crude proteins, energy and total ash contents of malted and popped convenience mixes. Iron and ascorbic acid contents of malted convenience and popped convenience mi x were also determined. The Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) was assayed with malted convenience mix and popped convenience mix, Values of hot paste vis cosity for malted convenience mix, for popped convenience mix and for propr ietary mix gruels were observed. Proteins, energy, fat, calcium, ascorbic a cid, iron and P-carotene (per 50 g convenience mix) for baby food products were calculated from the values analyzed. The protein content was found to be similar for all food products. Calcium (mg), ascorbic acid (mg), iron (m g) and P-carotene (pg) were found to be similar for all the food products. All the food products were organoleptically acceptable. A non-significant d ifference at p = 0.05 was observed among the scores for five food products developed.