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The Hindu

A ‘millety' nutribar from CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology

Millets, often dubbed superfoods, are quite trendy these days. So are nutribars. The National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) lab in Thiruvananthapuram, has combined the two to develop a nutribar that packs a punch, nutritionally. This millet-based nutrition bar delivers 228.66 kcal of energy per serving and is rich in natural protein content, according to CSIR-NIIST which has transferred the technology to a Thiruvalla-based private firm for commercial production. A wholesome functional food option, the nutribars are designed to appeal to health-conscious consumers who are on the look-out for healthy, nutrient-packed snacks, says NIIST director C. Anandharamakrishnan. What sets NIIST nutribar special apart, it being millet-based aside, is that unlike many nutribars on shop racks today, it does not contain synthetic additives, preservatives and refined sugars, said Tripti Mishra, scientist with the Agro Processing and Food Technology Division of NIIST. Natural sweeteners 'For this particular product, we have used sorghum. But any millet can be used in it,' Dr. Mishra said. The clean-label product contains natural sweeteners and features, and apart from millets, it contains nutrient-rich traditional ingredients such as nuts and seeds, creating a bar that is rich in dietary fibre and micronutrients. NIIST formally transferred the nutribar technology to Sabari Agro Food Products, Thiruvalla, during a conclave on 'Next-Generation Food Technologies: Processing for a Sustainable Tomorrow' held as part of the institute's golden jubilee celebrations on Friday. Strong research NIIST pursues a strong research programme in millets, given the potential these small-grained cereal crops hold for food security and nutrition. In 2023, as part of the International Year of Millets observance, NIIST had organised a Millet Festival which featured millet familiarisation programmes, millet and agro-food export conclaves and a recipe contest.