Current Status of Smart Technology Applications and Food Safety Implications in Precision Millet Fermentation: A Critical Review

Millet fermentation has gained significant attention due to its numerous health benefits, owing to its higher dietary fiber and gluten-free properties, making it suitable for celiacs, individuals with diabetes, and higher heart risk due to its low glycemic index and low-calorie content. This review critically highlights the current knowledge available about the potential smart technologies in millet fermentation, offering insights into food safety and quality concerns. A thorough literature search was conducted based on recent studies demonstrating the smart fermentation technologies in millet. The findings of this review suggested that the application of smart technologies in millet fermentation can improve precision and efficiency of fermentation process optimization, yield enhancement, and functional attributes. However, only limited applications of smart technologies were employed for millet fermentation, and more advanced and optimized technologies are yet to be explored and implemented for better outcomes. The current millet fermentation studies are mostly of concern towards the beneficial microorganisms, compromising the potential threats of pathogenic organisms if fermentation conditions are not maintained. Integrating advanced machine learning, modeling, and hazard analysis during the fermentation process would lead to attaining safety against contaminants, microbial contamination, toxins, and hazards in millet-based fermented products with assured quality.