Cereal Chem 69:359-365   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Puffing Quality of Experimental Varieties of Proso Millets (Panicum miliaceum).

K. Delost- Lewis, K. Lorenz, and R. Tribelhorn. Copyright 1992 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Eight experimental varieties of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) were studied to determine varietal differences in puffing quality. The grains were raised to 12, 15, or 18% moisture, equilibrated for 72 hr, and gun puffed at 140 psi. Significant differences in puffing quality were observed on the basis of puffed yields and expansion volumes. Variety 2027, which demonstrated good puffing quality, was selected for further studies of the physical, nutritional, and functional properties of products processed under various puffing conditions. A factorial arrangement of treatments was used. The grains were raised to 12, 15, or 18% moisture, allowed to equilibrate for 72 hr, and gun puffed at 120, 140, or 160 psi. Puffing quality was significantly improved when grains were tempered to 15 or 18% moisture and gun puffed at 140 or 160 psi. The puffed products were more highly expanded, less dense, and higher in protein content, but lower in ash and total dietary fiber, than those tempered to 12% moisture or gun puffed at 120 psi. In vitro nitrogen digestibilty of the puffed products was adversely affected by low moisture and the intense heat treatments required to reach high pressures. The puffed products demonstrated a much greater rate of in vitro starch digestibility than unprocessed millet. Nitrogen solubility of the puffed products was greatly reduced under all process conditions.