Poster Presentation:Improving the Health-Promoting Properties of Foods
108-P
Use of faba beans as protein source for cereal applications.
N. SOZER (1), N. Rosa Sibakov (1), L. Melama (1), S. Silbir (2), V. Micard (3), R. L. Heiniö (1)
(1) VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Espoo, Finland; (2) Ege University, Food Engineering Department, Izmir, Turkey; (3) SupAgro-INRA, Montpellier, France
Additional alternative and sustainable plant protein sources with high technological, sensory and nutritional functionality are needed to meet increasing protein demand. Pulses are an excellent, low cost source of protein, as well as dietary fibre, minerals and vitamins. Faba bean (Vicia Faba L.) is an ancient crop cultivated in Mediterranean basin, Ethiopia, Central and East Asia, Latin America and in North Europe. Faba bean flour (35 % protein content) or faba bean flour fermented with Lactic acid bacteria were used in gluten-free (GF) spaghetti and bread formulations. Mechanical, structural and sensory properties were evaluated for both product categories. Compared to semolina, pasta prepared with faba bean flours had lower cooking quality, i.e. 44% increase in cooking loss and 16 -32% reduction in water absorption for faba and fermented faba pasta, respectively, but most of the textural parameters were comparable. Starch hydrolysis index (HI) of pasta prepared with the faba bean flours (50%) was also similar to reference semolina pasta (46%). According to sensory results faba bean pasta was less elastic and harder in texture than semolina pasta, but chewiness, stickiness, sourness and possible off flavour intensity were comparable. Fermentation increased chewiness, sourness and intensity of flavour and colour. Bread samples were made from fermented and unfermented faba flour with total protein contents of 16 and 21%. The samples were also compared with GF bread made with soy protein. Faba breads had 60% higher loaf volume than the soy breads. Fermentation of faba flour improved nutritional properties by reducing HI from 85% to 75% and almost doubling the amount of free amino acids. Faba breads were softer (583 g vs 1123 g) and less gummy (311 vs 612 g). Fermentation and higher protein content in faba bread increased hardness.