Millet Testing

1. Introduction

Millet is a cereal that belongs to the grass family Poaceae. This small round whole grain is grown primarily in India and Nigeria, as well as other parts of Asia and Africa. Millet food, like brown rice and quinoa, can be cooked for ease of digestion. Only millets will address immediate concerns like food, feed, fuel, malnutrition, health, and climate change in the future. Millets fit well even in the infertile soil and are adapted to a wide range of ecological conditions requiring less water and inputs ⁽¹⁾.

2. Types of millets

The major millets are Sorghum, Pearl Millet and Finger Millet covering 95% of the total millet growing area in India and the rest 5% are Little Millet, Foxtail Millet, Barnyard Millet, Proso Millet, Kodo Millet, and Browntop Millet. There are numerous varieties of millets available. Several of these are listed below:

3. Nutritional importance

Millets are a nutritional powerhouse, and they are now referred to as Nutri-Cereals. The highest iron content (4 to 8 mg/ 100 gm of grain) is found in pearl millet and has the potential to treat anaemia in India. It is also high in zinc and folic acid, making it ideal for pregnant women. Pearl millet contains twice as much protein as milk. Millets are high in fiber, which aids digestion and prevents constipation. Kodo Millet has three times the fiber of wheat and maize and ten times the fiber of rice. Millets' high fiber content acts as prebiotics, aiding in the maintenance of a healthy gut microbiomes. They are also gluten-free and suitable for celiac patients. They contain antioxidants, which help to protect our cells from free radicals ⁽²⁾.

4. International Year of Millets (IYoM)-2023

In order to increase production of the nutrient-rich millets and the agro-industries involved in their production, the Indian government designated 2018 as the National Year of Millets. India needs to work on the millets revolution, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to ensure a balanced diet and good health. Under his direction, India sponsored a UN resolution to have 2023 proclaimed the International Year of the Millets, with the intention of increasing millets' production and consumption ⁽³⁾.

5. Regulations and Standards

The Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) 5^th Amendment Regulations, 2021 have been notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to incorporate standards for multigrain flour and mixed millet flour ⁽⁴⁾ which states that:

• The product shall contain flour composition obtained from whole wheat ranging from 50% to 90% and rest of the flour composition (10% to 50%) shall be from other approved components either singly or in combination.
• The term "multigrain flour" (atta) refers to a product made by milling/ grinding a combination of clean whole wheat and other permitted ingredients, or by mixing their flours. The "other Permitted Ingredients" are "Processed Soybean, Cereals, Pulses, Millets, Psyllium husk, Gluten, Wheat Bran, and Fenugreek Seeds." These products must adhere to strict guidelines, which call for them to contain no more than 13% moisture by mass, 0.15% acid insoluble ash on a dry basis, 3% gluten, 10% protein, 12% dietary fiber, and no less than 0.18% alcoholic acidity. Additionally, 98% of the product's particles must pass through a 40 mesh screen.
• Another flour standard added to the regulation was that of mixed millet flour. The product produced by milling/grinding a mixture of clean millets/pseudo millets or by combining flour made from clean millets is referred to as mixed millet flour. The regulations included millets like Sorghum/ Jowar (Sorghum bicolor), Pearl Millet/Bajra (Pennisetum glaucum), Finger Millet/ Ragi/Mandua (Eleusine coracana), Foxtail Millet/Kanngani/Kakun (Setaria italica), Proso Millet/ Cheena (Panicum milliaceum), Kodo Millet/ Kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum), Barnyard Millet/Sawa/Sanwa/Jhangora (Echinochola crus-galli) , Little Millet/ Kutki (Panicum sumatrense) , Brown top millet (Brachiari aramosa) and pseudo-millets – Buck wheat / Kuttu (Fagopyrum esculentum), Amaranth/ Chaulai (Amaranthus cruentus). The requirements for millet products include a maximum moisture content of 11% by mass, a maximum acid insoluble content of 0.15%, a minimum protein content of 8%, a minimum dietary fiber content of 12%, and a minimum particle size of 98% passing through a 40 mesh screen.

Food enterprises were urged to comply with all the conditions of these laws by June 1, 2022.

6. Eurofins services

Eurofins is the leading food analytical testing platform, providing a comprehensive range of testing services. Our expert team of scientists and researchers has the knowledge and experience to perform a wide range of analytical tests. Eurofins is a major contributor to food safety and assurance. We have a wide range of sophisticated equipment, and our testing services include national and international methods that meet food hygiene standards. We also specialize in pesticides, mycotoxins, contaminants, genetically modified organisms (GMO), microbiology, general food analysis, and food legislation. We will always be available to answer any questions you may have about global supply chain control and quality control.

Specific Testing services offered by Eurofins

• Detection of allergens - gluten, mustard, peanut, soya allergen in various cereal flours
• Detection of anti-nutritional factors- tannins, saponins, phytates, oxalates and other anti-nutritional
• Compositional analysis – protein, fat, carbohydrate, energy, dietary fiber, starch, amino acids, fatty acids profile, vitamins and trace elements,
• Filth test for detection of foreign matter
• General microbiological analysis - aerobic plate count, yeast and moulds
• Detection of pathogenic micro-organisms like Salmonella, coli, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococci
• Analysis of Genetically modified organisms - GMO screening, GMO identification (specific detection of one or more GMO), GMO quantification
• Testing for the anti-oxidants like BHA (Butylated Hydroxy Anisole), TBHQ (Tert-butyl hydroquinone)
• Testing for the presence of Ergot in good grains
• Determination of uric acid
• Determination of Hydrocyanic acid in beans
• Determination of synthetic colours in processed cereal and pulse products like biscuits, cakes
• Detection of various adulterants
• Determination of organic and inorganic residues and contaminants
• Mycotoxin analyses,    multi-toxin   analyses-    pyrrolizidine alkaloids, tropane alkaloids, ergot alkaloids
• Plant growth regulators like chlormequat, mepiquat
• Fumigants like phosphine, methyl bromide, sulfuryl difluoride
• Acidic herbicides
• Metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, tin
• Naturally occurring Toxic Substances like, Aflatoxin, Ochratoxin A & Deoxynivalenol

References

1. https://monsoonharvest.in/blogs/news/what-is-millets-different-type-of-millets-with-benefits-nutrition
2. https://milletadvisor.com/importance-of-millets-in-india/
3. https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/2023-the-international-year-of-millets-pm-modi-bets-for-coarse-grains-in-mann-ki-baat/2647297/
4. https://www.smartfood.org/project/fssai-notifies-stds-for-multigrain-mixed-millet-flours/
5. https://www.eurofins.in/food-testing/industries/grains-testing/

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