The aim of the study was to determine the effect of soaking time and acidity of the soaking solution on millet phytate content.
The results shown that the sample that was not soaked contained a phytate content of 834.54 mg/100g dry matter. The study revealed that soaking in water for 8 hours resulted in a significant reduction of phytates. This reduction was 5.4%. When the medium was acidified to a concentration of 1% and then 2%, the phytate reduction rates increased significantly to 16.37% and 16.81% respectively. For the same solutions of the same concentration but with a soaking time of 16 hours, the reduction rates are 8.2% in water, 24.66% for the 1% acid solution and 30.98% for a concentration of 2%. The results obtained in this study therefore shown that soaking with a 2% concentration solution is more effective in reducing phytate levels in millet.
Keywords : millet, soaking, acid, phytates