Lessons learnt from polishing of rice can be applied to millets

Diabetes prevalence is increasing in India, and refined grain-dominated diets have been partly attributed to this. Though millets are nutritious, most millets available in the Indian market are polished. As with rice, polishing millets strips off the bran and germ, rendering them nutritionally inferior, and their consumption can increase the glycaemic load of Indian diets. Amid the rise in non-communicable diseases like type 2 diabetes mellitus, promoting whole-grain millets in Indian diets assumes importance. This necessitates stricter labelling regulations for whole-grain claims and education campaigns to raise awareness of the characteristics and nutritional benefits of unpolished millets, enabling consumers to make informed choices. Research into consumer drivers and barriers to millet consumption, the development of sensorially acceptable and culturally relevant nutritious foods based on unpolished millets, and the design of storage and packaging solutions to enhance shelf-life can help promote healthier millet consumption in this population.