Technological intervention for development of circular agri-food system to produce proteins from minor cereals

Clean-label plant proteins have gained a lot of financial, research, and consumer attention globally, fostering a great interest of food scientists in exploring various alternative plant sources and technologies to fabricate protein-rich food products.

Cereals being the major nutrient vehicle for the masses and proteins being the second most abundant nutrient in these minor cereals, these grains can be a suitable alternative for plant-based proteins, to meet the increased protein demands.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has declared 2023 the ""International Year of Millets and owing to its invaluable contribution to the world's food supply, not only millets but also other minor cereals are currently undergoing a revival.

When other grains fail due to rising global temperatures, such minor cereals that can withstand drought are anticipated to provide food for the entire world's population.

Thus, the overall aim of ProCereal is to generate high-quality cereal proteins by transforming minor cereal flours (like millets) with a zero-waste approach.

ProCereal will employ novel green technologies to obtain high-value protein ingredients for food applications and the side-streams produced in the process would be explored for their potential for other high-value ingredients. This will allow the generation of new sustainable value chains for minor cereals like millets.