Overview

The preferences and desires of consumers for bean or cowpea products should be considered in the development of improved germplasm. Information required includes food quality attributes preferred by consumers as well as simple methods to rapidly determine these attributes. Optimized technologies for uncooked cowpea flour, the low-temperature processing and high-temperature processing of some legumes have been investigated. For example, micronization, an infra-red, high-temperature, semi-moist processing method, reduces the cooking time of some legumes (i.e., lentils and pinto beans) while maintaining their protein digestibility and nutritional quality. Selected technologies will be adapted and/or modified for regional preferences and optimized to yield functional ingredients and foods.