Development and Optimization of Nutritional, Functional and Shelf Stable Kodo Millet‐Incorporated Beverage Mix

The rising popularity of plant‐based and whole‐grain‐millet‐based traditional beverages is due to their contribution to health, food diversity, and potential to enhance food security. A ready‐to‐reconstitute beverage has been developed using kodo millet, a nutritionally rich and climate resilient minor millet. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the kodo millet beverage mix under the effect of three independent variables: kodo millet soaking time (4–12 h), roasting time (15–30 min), and soaked kodo millet content (50%–70%). A central composite design was employed to evaluate the effects on response variables including pH, Δ E , browning index, tannin, sedimentation value, and overall acceptability score. The optimized product was then assessed for its nutritional, functional, antinutritional, bioactive, free amino acid, and fatty acid composition. The formulated mix contained 16.34% protein, 17.83% fat, 16.83% dietary fiber, and 1.55% ash, with notable levels of iron (15.26 mg/100 g) and zinc (6.23 mg/100 g), as well as bioactive compounds. Omega‐9 (1.994 g/100 g), omega‐6 (1.055 g/100 g), and palmitic acid (1.892 g/100 g) were significantly abundant. Additionally, the mix exhibited a low moisture content (0.31%) and water activity 0.04 a w , with its shelf stability up to 6 months. The developed kodo millet‐based beverage mix presents a nutritionally dense, functional, and sustainable alternative for healthy food consumption, enhancing food security, and sustainable food systems.