PROCESSING OF INFANT FOODS FROM CEREALS AND MILLETS

INTRODUCTION

Infant cereals play an important role in the complementary feeding period. They play an important role in the early stage of life by providing the infant with energy, macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, bioactive compounds, and non-digestible carbohydrates that stimulate the gut microbiota.Infant cereals are defined as “processed cereal-based foods” that are divided into “simple cereals which are or have to be reconstituted with milk or other appropriate nutritious liquids”; or “cereals with an added high protein food which are or have to be reconstituted with water or another protein-freeliquid”.In many countries, infant cereals are among the first foods that are introduced at the beginning of the complementary feeding period. The choice to provide infant cereals as the first food during weaning can

be explained for several reasons.

(1) Cereals are an excellent source of energy, which is very important at the age of six months when exclusively breastfeeding is no longer sufficient to cover the nutritional requirements of the infant .

Moreover, cereals provide a substantial amount of carbohydrates (starch and fibre) and proteins, but are also a source of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds

(2) Cereals are an optimal vehicle for iron fortification. Therefore, the provision of infant cereals is effective at the beginning of complementary feeding, when the infant’s iron stores are depleting

(3) Cereals provide non-digestible carbohydrates, which are mainly responsible for the development of an ‘adult-like’ microbiota by increasing the Bacteroides population.

(4) Cereals have a mild taste and a semi-solid texture and consistency, which is adequate for the transition from milk toward the acceptation of solid foods at the beginning of complementary feeding.

BARLEY MALT

Barley malt is one of the major ingredient of infant milk foods and malt-based foods. Malted milk food is a product made by combining whole milk with the liquid separated from a mash of ground barley & wheat flour in such a manner as to secure full enzymic action of the malt extract, and reducing the mixture to dryness by desiccation. It may also contain added sodium chloride, sodium / potassium bicarbonate. India is among the world’s biggest market for malt- milk based food products. Malted- milk food products’ market in India has been growing in the range of 5 to 8 per cent for the last ten years.

Historical Background

Malted milk food was developed in 1883 by William Horlicks of Racine, Wisconsin, and the product was commercially marketed in 1887. William Horlicks who undertook the research at the request of some physicians for developing a baby food containing milk solids and cereal solids. This product received the attention of the medical professionals and the consumers due to its convenience, nutritive value, digestibility and palatability.

Definition of Malted Milk Food

Malted milk food: According to FSSA (Food Standard Safety Act) malted milk food means the product obtained by mixing whole milk, partly skimmed milk or milk powder with the wort separated from a mash of ground barley malt, any other malted cereal grain and wheat flour or any other cereal flour or malt extract with or without addition of flavouring agents and spices, emulsifying agent, eggs, protein isolates, edible common salt, sodium or potassium bicarbonate, minerals and vitamins and without added sugar in such a manner as to secure complete hydrolysis of starchy material and prepared in a powder or granule or flake formed by roller drying, spray drying, vacuum drying or by any other process.

It may contain cocoa powder. It shall be free from dirt and other extraneous matter. It shall not contain any added starch (except natural starch present in cocoa powder) and added non milk fat. It shall not contain any preservative or added colour. Malted milk food containing cocoa powder may contain added sugar. Malted milk food shall also conform to standards (Table20.1).

Malt based food (Malt food):

According to FSSA (Food Standard Safety Act) malt based food means the product obtained by mixing malt (wort or flour or malt extract) of any kind obtained by controlled germination of seeds (cereals and/or grain legumes), involving mainly steeping, germination and kiln drying processes with other cereal and legume flour with or without whole milk or milk powder, flavouring agents, spices, emulsifying agents, eggs, egg powder, protein isolates, protein hydrolysates, edible common salt, liquid glucose sodium or potassium bicarbonate, minerals, amino acids and vitamins. It may contain added sugar and / or cocoa powder and processed in such a manner to secure partial or complete hydrolysis of starchy material in the form of powder or granules or flakes by drying or by dry mixing of the ingredients. The grain legume and their products used in the preparation of malt shall be sound and uninfested and free from insect fragment, rat excreta, fungal infested grains or any other type of insect or fungal damage.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF MALTED FOOD

The preparation of malted milk combines the technique of dried milk manufacture with that of the brewing. The process consists of mixing milk solids with the liquid resulting from the mashing of barley malt, and wheat flour with certain minor ingredientsCereal extract of malted barley and wheat flour is prepared by either batch or continuous method.Malted barley is sieved to remove dust and other foreign matter. It is then crushed using line roller mill and mixed with wheat flour. The mix is conveyed to mash tank, where water at 40°C is continuously added to prepare uniform slurry. The slurry is gradually heated to raise the temperature from 40°C to 70°C within about 40 min. The slurry is held at 70°C for about 35 min for complete the conversion of starch into maltose and dextrose. The slurry temperature is gradually raised to 78°C and held at this temperature for about 20 min to stop further activity of enzymes and also to achieve maximum cereal solids (28-30%). The slurry is then filtered to separate barley husk and obtain clear liquid, known as “wort”. The wort is then mixed with pre- determined quantities of milk, malt extract, sugar, salt, minerals and vitamins. The with about 26% solids is concentrated under vacuum, either in single stage calandria (50-58% solids) or in multiple stage evaporators (80% solids). The concentrate is then dried by using vacuum oven drying, band drying or spray drying.