~ 914 ~ The Pharma Innovation Journal 2018; 7(4): 914-918 ISSN (E): 2277- 7695 ISSN (P): 2349-8242 NAAS Rating: 5.03 TPI 2018; 7(4): 914-918 © 2018 TPI www.thepharmajournal.com Received: 17-02-2018 Accepted: 19-03-2018 Amit A Kulthe Department of Food Science and Technology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Maharashtra, India Suresh S Thorat Department of Food Science and Technology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Maharashtra, India Amol P Khapre Rajiv Gandhi College of Food Technology, Parbhani, Maharashtra, India Correspondence Amit A Kulthe Department of Food Science and Technology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Maharashtra, India Effects of different packaging materials on the sensory characteristics of β-carotene enriched pearl millet based cookies during storage Amit A Kulthe, Suresh S Thorat and Amol P Khapre Abstract In present investigation, an attempt was made to utilize microencapsulated β-carotene and pearl millet flour in formulation of nutrient rich cookies. The storage stability of cookies as influenced by different packaging materials, viz. low density polyethylene (LDPE-25μ), high density polyethylene (HDPE-25μ) and aluminium laminated pouches (20μ) was evaluated at ambient conditions. Cookies were evaluated for their sensory characteristics and β-carotene retention during storage. There was decrease in sensory quality characteristics during storage irrespective of package at varying range. Also the β-carotene retention was affected by packaging material. A gradual decrease in β-carotene of cookies from 2.56 to 2.17 mg/100g was observed for 180 days of storage. Aluminium laminated and HDPE pouches were found well suitable packaging materials. A serving of these cookies provided 0.68 mg (85 RE) of the β- carotene. Keywords microencapsulated β-carotene; pearl millet; cookies, storage studies; β-carotene retention Introduction Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is one of the major nutritional deficiencies affecting the population in developing countries. Prevalence of VAD in India is one of the highest in the world. In India, 62 % of pre-school children are vitamin A deficient, having serum retinol concentrations lower that 20 µg/dL (Singh, 2014) [24] . Β-carotene is the principal precursor of vitamin A which theoretically possesses 50 % Vitamin A activity (Delgado Vargas et al., 2000) [6] . The high degree of unsaturation in β-carotene structure renders it extremely susceptible to oxygen (Maa et al., 1998) [16] . Microencapsulation, being one of the best ways for retaining the stability of β-carotene. With the increasing knowledge of the positive functions of β-carotene, more and more people take interest in some foods or pharmaceuticals containing β-carotene ingredients, such as beverages, baked goods, oils, capsules and tablets. Lipid-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, β-carotene and vitamins D, E or K are much easier to encapsulate than water-soluble ingredients (Kowalski et al., 2000) [13] . Also the higher utilization and nutritional significance of cookies is well recognized for enrichment with high quality non-wheat flours. Nevertheless, the utilization of millets is limited due to the presence of various anti-nutrients. Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L) is recognized as being the most widely grown of all the millet types. It is the basic staple food in the poorest countries and used by the poorest people. Nutritionally, it makes an important contribution to human diet due to high levels of calcium, iron, zinc, lipids and high quality proteins. It contains vitamin A typically about 24 Retinol Equivalents (Taylor, 2004). The beneficial attribute of pearl millet flour (PMF) due to its complementary mineral pattern to that of wheat minerals has led to worldwide attempts to enrich bakery products using PMF. Hence, the present investigation was carried out to standardize the storage stability of microencapsulated β-carotene incorporated pearl millet based cookies as affected by different packaging materials. Also the study emphasizes the contribution of β-carotene from these cookies. Materials and Methods Materials: The pearl millet var., Dhanshakti (ICTP 8203 Fe 10-2) was procured from Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Dhule, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri.