Improvement of the nutritional quality of food legumes
1979
Bressani, Ricardo | Elías, Luiz G.
As legume food staples play an important nutritional role in the diets of many Latin American populations, research to improve their nutritive qualities is underway. Limiting nutritional factors in Phaseolus vulgaris (beans) include protease inhibitors, lectins, tannins, sulfur amino acid deficiencies, and low protein digestibility. Efforts are being made to analyze these factors, and to examine the environmental, agronomic, and genetic influences on legume protein quality and quantity. In many developing countries, beans are eaten with cereal grains and starch foods; cereal-bean mixtures provide higher protein intakes and better quality due to protein complementarity. Food technologists are also working to improve the acceptability, processing, cooking, and storage characteristics of beans. Further studies are needed to obtain more knowledge on all factors affecting nutrient quality and nutritive value of legume foods. (nm)
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