QUALITY EVALUATION OF NOODLES FROM MILLET FLOUR BLEND INCORPORATED COMPOSITE FLOUR.

Noodle was prepared from composite flour of various combinations of millet flour blend, whole wheat flour and soy flour and evaluated the influence of millet flour blend on physical, functional, nutritional, cooking and organoleptic characteristics and in vivo glycemic response. The height/width ratio, geometric mean diameter, expansion ratio and specific length of extrudates, hydration capacity, hydration index, swelling capacity and swelling index, water uptake ratio, bulk density, cooking volume expansion, gruel solid loss, geometric mean diameter on cooking and elongation index of cooked noodles, total carbohydrate, starch, amylose, amylopectin content were decreased significantly (p<0.05) whereas fiber and amylose/amylopectin ratio increased significantly (p<0.05) with increase in level of millet flour blend incorporation. The cooking time of developed noodles from composite flour (15 - 18 minutes) was significantly (p<0.01) higher than the cooking time of branded noodles (9.3 minutes). The mean overall organoleptic score of developed noodle from composite flour was in the range of highly acceptable criteria (20-25). By all means, the 20% level of millet flour blend incorporation was found to be acceptable. The mean glycemic index and load of developed noodle from standard composite flour and 20% millet flour blend incorporated noodle was significantly (p<0.01) lower than the branded noodle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]