Pearl millet—a great gluten-free alternative

Pearl millet could be a healthy alternative to wheat—and a good option for people on a gluten-free diet.

Known as bajra in India, it’s been a staple in Africa and the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years but has never enjoyed the same status in the West, which is still dependent on wheat.

But droughts and crop failures are forcing agriculture to look at durable alternatives, and pearl millet is top of the list.

The problem is whether Westerners would like the taste, and so researchers from Drexel University carried out a series of tests to find out.  They discovered that fermented pearl millet flour can successfully replace up to 20 percent of whole wheat flour in sandwich-style whole grain bread without affecting consumer acceptance or willingness to purchase it—but less so beyond that level.

“This study highlights that simple food preparation methods, such as fermentation, can enhance the nutritional value of millet without compromising flavor—up to a point,” said lead author May M. Cheung.

Pearl millet bran contains a considerable amount of phytic acid, an “antinutrient” that reduces the absorption of micronutrients, such as calcium and iron.

For the first pilot study, 12 adults tasted flat breads made with pearl millet fermented for different durations. The research team found that the longer the fermentation, the more effective it was at lowering phytic acid levels in the millet. But they also found that, for flat breads made solely of pearl millet, the longer the millet was fermented, the less they liked its taste.

So, for the second pilot study, the research team substituted fermented pearl millet into whole-grain sandwich bread, in varying amounts, to find out how much fermented pearl millet consumers would tolerate. Thirty adult participants taste tested sandwich breads made with up to half of fermented millet flour as a partial substitute for wheat flour.

The team found that up to 20 percent of fermented pearl millet flour could be used in sandwich breads before people start rejecting the breads.

It may not be entirely to the taste of the average Westerner who likes his wheat—but this could be big news for people who are gluten intolerant.

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