Standardization and development of gluten free beetroot millet cracker

Cracker is a palatable, crunchy snack that is most popular in India. Cracker is usually made with refined flour and sugar. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a millet-based cracker , using beetroot extraction finger millet flour, jowar flour, jaggery, sesame seeds(brown and black) and rice flour. As millets are considered nutritionally rich foods so they can be used to develop healthy and functional foods. Different levels of finger millet flour, jowar flour, and other ingredients were added in the proportions of 50%JF + 30%beetroot extraction + 10%OI (Sample A), 50%RFF + 30% beetroot extraction + 20%OI (Sample B), and 25%JF + 25%RF + 30% beetroot extraction+20%OI (Sample C) for the development of murukku and its sensory attributes were analyzed. The one-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference between the mean scores of at least two samples (F (2, 15) =3.7855, p=0.046, p<0.05[α]). Sample A (50JF + 30% beetroot extraction+ 20%OI) demonstrated desirable organoleptic properties based on taste panel studies. The selected sample A had an energy content of 699Kcal/100g, with 80.37g carbohydrates, 0.17g fat, 9.56g protein, 2.8g dietary fiber, calcium 45mg, and iron 5.5mg per 100g. While the total viable count and coliform count increased during a month storage period from 1 to 2 and 1 to 1.7 respectively, harmful bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, and staphylococcus were absent in initial and final assessments. The pH increased from 7.1 to 7.6 during storage. The color, odor, and taste of the sample scored 4.5 initially but decreased to 3.0 at the end, while the texture remained constant with a score of 3.0 throughout storage