Researchers in Nigeria have developed an innovative finger millet-based instant complementary food that could provide a locally sourced approach to improving the nutritional quality of foods given to infants and young children.

Published in Scientific Reports, the study was conducted by researchers from the Federal University Oye-Ekiti and Mountain Top University in Nigeria. It addresses persistent concerns surrounding childhood malnutrition and inadequate complementary feeding practices in sub-Saharan Africa.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) formed the foundation of the formulation. Researchers enriched it with four indigenous ingredients selected for their nutritional and potential prebiotic properties: baobab pulp, tiger nut flour, orange-fleshed sweet potato and unripe banana flour.

Rather than developing a single formulation through trial and error, the scientists employed a D-optimal mixture design to generate and assess different combinations of the ingredients.

The resulting formulations underwent extensive nutritional and functional evaluation. Researchers measured their proximate composition, minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals, amino-acid profiles, in-vitro protein digestibility, glycemic index and load, and sensory characteristics.

The enriched formulations performed significantly better than the control formulation containing 100% finger millet across several important nutritional parameters.

According to the researchers, adding the indigenous ingredients resulted in improvements in protein, dietary fibre, essential micronutrients and antioxidant content.

One formulation, identified as Sample Run 8, produced a particularly promising combination of characteristics. It demonstrated a lower glycemic response while maintaining high sensory acceptability, indicating that nutritional enhancement did not necessarily come at the expense of consumer acceptance.

The research is important because complementary foods need to deliver considerable nutrition within relatively small portions. Improving the nutrient density and digestibility of foods made from locally available crops could therefore contribute to broader food-based approaches addressing early childhood malnutrition.

Finger millet also gives the formulation a strong connection with traditional African food systems. Instead of depending entirely on imported or highly specialised ingredients, the researchers investigated how underutilised indigenous foods can complement an established millet crop.

The combination with orange-fleshed sweet potato, baobab, tiger nut and banana illustrates another important principle in nutrition: no single grain needs to provide every required nutrient. Combining millet with nutritionally complementary ingredients can produce a more diversified food formulation.

The researchers conclude that incorporating these underutilised, nutrient-rich local ingredients improved both the nutritional quality and functional potential of the finger millet-based food. They argue that locally available resources could support development of affordable and culturally acceptable complementary foods.

For the millet industry, the study also highlights opportunities extending beyond traditional millet consumption. Finger millet can serve as a foundation for scientifically formulated, value-added foods designed for specific nutritional applications.

The findings should nevertheless be interpreted as formulation and nutritional-evaluation research rather than evidence that the product itself has already reduced malnutrition in children. Further validation and real-world application would be needed before making such claims.

Overall, the Nigerian research demonstrates how millet science, indigenous biodiversity and modern food formulation can intersect to develop potentially more nutritious foods from locally relevant crops.