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Sorghum based extruded and pre-cooked bean analog- A solution for Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa.
E. CLARK (1), F. Madeira (2), C. Mante (3), A. Bara (4), H. Wireman (5), L. Pelembe (2), S. Alavi (5) (1) Food Science Institute, , U.S.A.; (2) University of Eduardo Mondlane, , Mozambique; (3) University of Limpopo, , South Africa; (4) University of Punjab, , India; (5) Kansas State University, , U.S.A..

Despite the great strides in global hunger made in the last several years, Sub-Saharan Africa is still stricken with food insecurity and inadequate nutrition. Legumes, including beans, continue to be a major protein source and calorie contributor in the diet of this region. Beans require immense amounts of resources like fuel and water to cook. The purpose of this study is to create a micronutrient fortified and pre-cooked bean analog product, which requires lesser energy while delivering more nutrients than traditional navy beans. The bean analog is an extrusion cooked and shaped product comprising of sorghum, wheat and soybean flours, in addition to vitamin and mineral premixes and a few other process and product enhancers in minor amounts. The size and shape of the product was optimized for best cooking quality while minimizing drying costs during processing. Textural properties were measured using texture profile analysis and cooking quality attributes such as water absorption and solids loss (13-24%) were characterized and compared with navy beans. It was found that soak time of 1 hour and cooking time of 20 minutes led to a product with comparable texture to navy beans. Consumer study results indicated the bean analog would be acceptable product with potential applications commercially as well as in food aid programs.

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