Finger Millet-Pumpkin Seed Choco Flakes: A Functional Breakfast Cereal

Background: Finger millet is nutrient-rich millet with high calcium, iron, dietary fiber, and health-promoting properties, while pumpkin seeds are rich in protein, minerals, and antioxidants. Fortification of finger millet products with pumpkin seed flour may enhance their nutritional quality and consumer acceptability. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop finger millet Choco flakes fortified with pumpkin seed flour and evaluate their sensory, nutritional, and storage characteristics. Materials and Methods: Finger millet Choco flakes were prepared using different proportions of finger millet and pumpkin seed flour, including a control (T0) and three fortified treatments (T1-T3). The products were evaluated for sensory attributes using a 9-point hedonic scale, nutritional composition (protein, fat, moisture, ash, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, iron, and energy), and storage stability through sensory evaluation over a period of 30 days. Results: Among all formulations, T3 (55:15 finger millet: pumpkin seed flour) was the most preferred treatment. It recorded the highest sensory scores for appearance (7.80±0.95), colour (7.85±0.81), flavour (8.25±0.86), taste (8.45±0.94), texture (8.40±0.88), and overall acceptability (8.35±0.81), whereas the control (T0) obtained the lowest scores. Nutritional analysis showed progressive improvement with increasing pumpkin seed flour incorporation. T3 exhibited the highest protein (5.09±0.08%), fat (3.20±0.04%), iron (4.50±0.03 mg/100 g), moisture (3.43±0.02%), and dietary fiber (9.40±0.06%) contents. Conversely, carbohydrate content decreased from 82.45±0.30% (T0) to 76.00±0.34% (T3), while energy value declined from 369.89±0.84 kcal to 354.00±0.64 kcal. Ash content showed only slight variation among treatments. During storage, sensory scores gradually decreased from the 0th to the 30th day, indicating a decline in acceptability over time. Conclusion: Fortification of finger millet Choco flakes with pumpkin seed flour significantly improved sensory acceptability and nutritional quality. The T3 formulation (55:15) was identified as the optimum treatment due to its superior sensory characteristics and enhanced protein, fat, iron, and dietary fiber contents. The developed product can serve as a nutritious value-added breakfast cereal with good consumer acceptability, although a gradual reduction in sensory quality was observed during 30 days of storage.