Considerations for gluten free foods - pearl and finger millet processing and market demand

The market demand for gluten free foods is increasing due to frequent incidences of celiac disease and increasing awareness on consumption of gluten free foods. Millets have become the major constituent of diet as they are gluten-free and also excellent sources of micro and macro nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, dietary fibers and phenolic compounds. Among various millets, the finger millet and the pearl millet are the two most important and common millet varieties grown extensively. Since, they are regarded as the staple foods of the poor and vulnerable populations, development of new products and improvements in their nutritional quality will aid in the general health of these population. Processing of millets and production of variable gluten-free ready-to-eat and nutritional supplements has increased their market value in the recent years. Furthermore, processing can also help in shelf-life extension of the millets with nutritional enrichment, expanding its markets to non-traditional millet consumers. In this context, the present review is aimed to focus on the current processing methods to develop products from the two millet varieties that are gluten free and outline their nutritional benefits.