Development of a cost-effective and protein-enhanced germinated cereal–legume–millet flour based multigrain cookie: a step towards sustainable goals

Abstract Growing demand for better nutrition and health care is important due to modern lifestyles and behavioral shifts. This cereal-legume-millet-based study compares formulated germinated and ungerminated flour cookies prepared from the 3 different ratios (50:10:20:20, 50:20:10:20, and 50:20:20:10) of wheat, chickpea, and sorghum concerning control (refined wheat flour only). The results indicated that both the germinated and ungerminated flour cookies had a significant increase (p ≤ .05) in protein (11.41%–16.58%), ash (20.16%–22.78%), fat (0.99%–1.46%), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) (27.17%–32.62%), and total phenolic content (71.03–97.95 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g) compared with the control cookies. Conversely, there was a decrease in carbohydrate content (53.83%–61.68%) in the formulated cookies. Furthermore, the hardness, fracturability, spread ratio, and lightness (L*) of the formulated cookies significantly decreased when compared with the control. Microstructural images revealed that control cookies had tightly bound starch granules, while the formulated cookies showed disrupted starch granules with pores. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated an enhancement in peak patterns and intensity in the formulated germinated cookies compared to the control sample. Shelf-life determination showed that peroxide value, free fatty acid, moisture content, and microbial count were within acceptable limits over 28 days when stored in an aluminum pouch at a temperature of 28 ± 2 °C. These results suggest the potential for further research and scaling up the production of value-added, nutritionally enhanced, and functional multigrain cookies. Future studies could focus on commercial scale-up, optimising formulations, and addressing consumer preferences to facilitate broader market applications.