The Role of Legumes in Human Nutrition

Legumes are valued worldwide as a sustainable and inexpensive meat alternative and are considered the second most important food source after cereals. Legumes are nutritionally valuable, providing proteins (20–45%) with essential amino acids, complex carbohydrates (±60%) and dietary fibre (5–37%). Legumes also have no cholesterol and are generally low in fat, with ±5% energy from fat, with the exception of peanuts (±45%), chickpeas (±15%) and soybeans (±47%) and provide essential minerals and vitamins. In addition to their nutritional superiority, legumes have also been ascribed economical, cultural, physiological and medicinal roles owing to their possession of beneficial bioactive compounds. Research has shown that most of the bioactive compounds in legumes possess antioxidant properties, which play a role in the prevention of some cancers, heart diseases, osteoporosis and other degenerative diseases. Because of their composition, legumes are attractive to health conscious consumers, celiac and diabetic patients as well as consumers concerned with weight management. The incorporation of legumes in diets, especially in developing countries, could play a major role in eradicating protein-energy malnutrition especially in developing Afro-Asian countries. Legumes could be a base for the development of many functional foods to promote human health

Factors Affecting the Stability of Emulsions Stabilised by Biopolymers

There has been an increase in consumer demand for healthy food products made from natural ingredients. This demand has been partly addressed by the substitution of natural alternatives to synthetic ingredients. One such example in this endeavour, is the study of the application of natural biopolymers as food emulsion stabilisers. When biopolymers such as proteins and polysaccharides or their complexes are applied as emulsion stabilisers, they exhibit different modes of action. These include acting as emulsifiers (polypeptides), increasing the viscosity of the medium (polysaccharides), reducing coalescence by coating individual droplets as well as acting as weighting agents (polysaccharides and polypeptides). Biopolymers can be covalently complexed using chemical, enzymatic or thermal treatments. These treatments generally increase the robustness and solubility of the final complexes. Biopolymer complexes have been reported to show higher stability to varying temperatures, pH and ionic strength. When two incompatible biopolymers are mixed, either associative or segregative phase separation occurs. The former involves separation of oppositely charged polymers due to electrostatic repulsion and the latter involves separation of similarly charged or neutral biopolymers. In this chapter, the stabilising effect, complexation, mode of action, phase behaviour and future application of biopolymers in emulsions are discussed

Effect of processing on the microstructure and composition of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) seeds, flour and protein isolates

Pre-processing treatments are generally employed to circumvent negating effects, such as the hard-to-cook and hard-to-mill properties, associated with legume seeds. Several studies have investigated the effects of soaking and roasting on the macroscopic qualities of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) [BGN] seeds, yet knowledge is lacking on the effects of these treatments on the microstructural and molecular properties of the seeds and resulting fractions (i.e. flour and protein isolates). Size-exclusion chromatography coupled with light scattering results have shown that roasting induces thermal aggregation in BGN proteins, resulting in the formation of insoluble aggregates. To that end, the molecular composition of the roasted and soaked-roasted samples were comparable, yet different to the control (untreated seeds), whereas the samples which were subjected to soaking compared favourably to the control. The morphology of the seeds were also well characterized by microscopic techniques, including a confocal imaging technique which appears novel for legume seeds, revealing cotyledon cells with several starch granules embedded in a matrix of protein bodies. The findings of this study provide valuable insights on the microstructural and molecular compositional changes occurring in BGN seeds and fractions when subjected to soaking and/or roasting, which could be linked to some macroscopic properties as previously reported.</p

Lemon and lime

This chapter covers the following: Introduction to lemon and lime fruit structure. Production, varieties, and harvesting. Consumption trends: culinary uses. Postharvest physiology and storage technologies. Market quality and shelf life extension. Minimally processed and fresh-cut products. Processing and processed products. Nutritional profile and health benefits. References

Utilizing Bambara groundnut in value-added products

Indigenous to Africa, resistant to drought and pests, and a good source of protein, fiber, and calcium, Bambara groundnut can contribute to food security in developing and developed countries

Developments on the cereal grains Digitaria exilis (acha) and Digitaria iburua (iburu)

Research and development on these indigenous African cereal grains, acha (Digitaria exilis Stapf) and iburu (D. iburua Stapf), is experiencing renewed interest not just in Africa but the rest of the world. It is believed that acha and iburu may have nutraceutical properties, as it is used in some areas for managing diabetes. Value addition and exploitation of fonio (acha and iburu) in the development of health or speciality foods like acha-bread, biscuit, cookies, sour dough, traditional drinks, nonfermented steamed and granulated dumpling products are gaining interest. These grains may also contribute in addressing some very relevant challenges in today's food formulation-both from functionality and health perspectives. The constraint of low yield is receiving attention in cereal breeding programmes which may give rise to a new generation of 'healthy' cereal grains in future. Further research on acha and iburu whole grains will hopefully lead to increase understanding of the health effects of grain components and to increase the intake of health-protective grain components. Moreover, with strong consumer demand for these grains due to their potential nutritional and health benefits, and because they help to satisfy the demand for a more varied cereal diet, efforts should be made to tackle the obstacles militating against production, improved quality, competitiveness and value-addition

Food technology and packaging design: Taking African food culture into the global space

Food technology and packaging design: Taking African food culture into the global space, 3rd Virtual Global Interaction in Design (GLIDE) Conference, 7 November 201

Developing extruded products: adding value to African underutilized legumes and cereal

Developing extruded products: adding value to African underutilized legumes and cereal, ExtruAfrica Workshops: 2nd Annual International Conference on Food and Feed Extrusion, Skukuza, 2-3 August 201

Potential of underutilised African crops for product innovation

Potential of underutilised African crops for product innovation, Food Innovation Symposium, Cape Town, 25-26 September 201