Abstract
Development of rancidity in pearl millet flour even after a shorter period of storage time is the major limitation for its acceptability by the consumers. So, our aim of this study was to improve the shelf life of pearl millet flour obtained from two cultivars, (Ashana and Hreahry) using natural (ascorbic acid) and synthetic (butylated hydroxytoluene) antioxidant. Flour samples were evaluated for free fatty acids (FFA), peroxide value and fat acidity for a time period of 0, 10, 30, 60 and 90 days. We found that, untreated samples had significant increase in FFA compared to samples treated with ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene. Moreover, peroxide values in butylated hydroxytoluene treated samples were found to be low compared to untreated flour as well as ascorbic acid treated flours for both the cultivars. From our results it was observed that, butylated hydroxytoluene and ascorbic acid treated samples were able to maintain shelf life for 30 days, respectively. However ascorbic acid being a natural antioxidant could be a potential source of preservation and it could provide an effective and natural way for improving the shelf life of pearl millet flour.