Development and Sensory Analysis of Gluten-Free Millet-Based Extruded Snacks

Abstract

The increasing demand for nutritious, convenient, and gluten-free food products has led to a renewed interest in millet-based snacks. This study aimed to develop and standardize extruded multigrain products using different ratios of pearl millet, sorghum, rice, and corn, and evaluate their sensory acceptability. Two formulations were developed—A4 (30% pearl millet, 30% sorghum, 20% corn, 20% rice) and A5 (40% pearl millet, 20% sorghum, 20% corn, 20% rice)—were assessed based on organoleptic properties using a nine-point hedonic scale. Both samples were prepared using hot extrusion technology under controlled parameters. The sensory evaluation revealed that sample A4 scored slightly higher in overall acceptability (7.8 ± 0.53) compared to A5 (7.7 ± 0.48), indicating favorable consumer preferences for both formulations. The results highlight the potential of millet-based extruded snacks as nutritious alternatives to conventional cereal-based products, offering better taste, texture, and consumer appeal.