Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT), Thanjavur has developed Millet Ice Cream which has been lauded for its potential to strike socio-economic balance.
The product has opened up scope for farmers to exploit a tremendous market. The millet ice cream formulated by a team of scientists led by the IIFPT Director C. Anandharamakrishnan, has caught the attention of the nation’s nutrition experts and is appreciated not only for its unique and appealing taste but also for its enormous ability to provide the much needed market for millets produced by farmers.
The product was launched at the World Food India 2017 held in November last by the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal and immediately made waves in the international food industry conclave. Now, the product which is yet to see active commercial production, was displayed at the Krishi Unnati Mela at the instance of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Speaking on the product, Dr. Anandharamakrishnan said that the millet ice cream was a nutrient-dense food in which the ice cream is lactose-free and is packed with Omega-3 rich fatty acids, reports The Hindu. “The IIFPT is now developing jackfruit fibre based cones for the millet ice cream to add valuable dietary fibre content to the product”, he said.
According to the news reported by The Hindu, the millet ice cream has 59 per cent lesser calories and 22 per cent lesser carbohydrates than the conventional ice cream and 43 per cent lesser fat than the regular vanilla ice cream.
More than that, children can be easily allured by the nutrient-rich millets instead of the more cumbersome powder or liquid form food that they would otherwise treat as a medicine.