Impact of Baking and Steaming of 3D printed Pearl millet - Banana pulp blends on physicochemical and sensory attributes

Abstract

3D printing technology for preparing millet-based foods can positively impact the final product's consumer perception. Apart from printability, post-processing behavior is a critical aspect, having direct implications on the quality of 3D printed products. In this work, the impact of steaming and baking on the quality attributes of 3D printed pearl millet–banana pulp blends was investigated with emphasis on physicochemical and sensory attributes. Among two treatments, baked samples with pearl millet flour and banana pulp (PMF:BP) at 60:40 (%w/w) level scored highest in terms of sensory acceptance. This formulation had a protein content of 8.18 ± 0.09 g/100 g and dietary fiber content of 2.21 ± 0.02 g/100 g, also exhibiting better shape retention in comparison with steamed counterparts. An exclusive focus was given to studying the glycemic index of different formulations and the impact of post-processing conditions, revealing higher values for baked samples (75–86) as compared with steamed ones (67–72). In addition, principal component analyses were conducted to better explain the findings of this study. The results of this study offer insights into identifying the optimal post-processing method for 3D printed products made from millet.