Millet Milk Yoghurt: A Novel Probiotic Product Using Finger and Pearl Millet

Millets are small seeded grains that are available in different varieties worldwide. Cereal grains are the most important source of food worldwide and play a significant role in the human diet. Yoghurt is a fermented dairy product, which is recognised for its probiotic benefits, due to the presence of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, and nutrition available in milk, providing more health benefits to improve human health. This study presents a novel approach for incorporating finger millet (FM) and pearl millet (PM) into traditional yoghurt formulations. Millets were incorporated into the yoghurt formulation in the form of millet milk. The grains were soaked in water at a ratio of 1:3 to facilitate millet milk extraction. Millets were incorporated in two forms, FM and mixed millet (MM), in a 1:1 ratio of FM to PM. For FM yoghurt, the ratios of full cream milk (FCM) to FM milk were 4:1 and 5:1, and in the case of MM yoghurt, the FCM to MM milk ratios tested were 3:1, 4:1, and 5:1, with 2 g of culture at 40-42℃ for 4 h. Based on sensory evaluation, the optimal formulations were found to be 5:1 for FM yoghurt and 3:1 for MM yoghurt. Chemical analysis revealed that FM yoghurt contained 6.2% fat, 11.36% protein, and 2% ash, whereas MM yoghurt contained 8.7% fat, 11.67% protein, and 2.56% ash. Millet incorporation significantly enhanced the nutrient profile, texture, and flavour of yoghurt. Overall, the developed yoghurt will improve the bioavailability, fibre, and protein, and serve as a functional probiotic beverage.