Enhancement of nutritional and functional properties in finger millet (<i>Eleusine coracana</i>) and cricket (<i>Acheta domesticus</i>) flours through traditional and novel processing methods

Abstract A study of the biochemical, nutritional, and functional modifications in underutilised and neglected food ingredients during processing is vital for promoting dietary diversity, addressing malnutrition, and strengthening food security. This study investigates the impact of food processing techniques, including malting, fermentation, and ultra-sonication, on enhancing the quality attributes of finger millet and edible cricket flour. Finger millet was processed for malting and fermentation at 35 °C for 24 hr, while edible crickets were fermented for 24 hr at 35 °C. Both flours were ultra-sonicated at 50 kHz for 10 min. The processed finger millet (malted, fermented, and ultra-sonicated) and edible cricket (fermented and ultra-sonicated) flours were examined for their biochemical, nutritional, and functional qualities. The results indicate that both traditional (malting and fermenting) and emerging (ultra-sonication) techniques enhance the composition of the food sources investigated. These improvements suggest that combining the processed flours could yield a composite product rich in protein, with improved nutritional content, functional properties, and potential health-promoting benefits.