Processing, Packaging and Storage of Pasta from Proso Millet

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) a specific type of staple food popular in India and other parts of the world. There was no significant work on the commercial exploitation in the value addition of proso millet products. Hence, a study was conducted to produce pasta from clean and polished proso millet blended with wheat flour and water under different combinations. Also with a view to improve the shelf life of pasta by packaging interventions, the effect of LDPE and PP usage on the sensory, physico-chemical and biochemical quality of pasta during three months of storage at ambient atmosphere condition was studied. Pasta prepared under equal proportions of millet and wheat flour got maximum overall acceptance in the sensory panel and the rate of loss of most quality attributes was low in pasta stored under LDPE samples as compared to samples packaged under PP. Based on the results obtained in the study it was concluded that pasta could be best preserved up to 3 months at ambient atmospheric condition under LDPE without appreciable quality loss.