Miller Magazine Issue: 147 March 2022

94 COVER STORY MILLER / march 2022 Legumes, such as lentils, peas and beans, have gained importance in human nutrition in recent years due to their high protein and fiber content. Legumes also score well in the area of sustainability when it comes to cultivation because of their low water and fertilizer requirements. This is because they bind nitrogen from the atmo- sphere and pass on a large part of the nutrient to sub- sequent crops, so that less nitrogen fertiliser is needed. A side effect is that the CO2 footprint that results from the cultivation of crops is reduced by in- creasing the cultivation of legumes. In addition, pulses are suitable for people who follow differ- ent dietary concepts, such as gluten-free, high protein or vegetarian. That is why they are often used as a basic ingredient for meat substitutes. When making meat substitutes from legume flour, the oil absorption properties of the flour are im- portant in terms of the appropriate oil addition for an extrusion process, and finally also to ensure that the end product is succulent enough. OIL ABSORPTION OF LENTIL FLOUR In cooperation with the company Müller's Müh- le, Brabender therefore carried out a quality analysis determination of different pulses, includ- ing lentils, peas, faba beans and chickpea, and presented the results at the last conference for bakery technology in Detmold, Germany. In addition to the water absorption and gelatinisation properties of legume flour, the two companies also determined the oil absorption of lentil flour and developed a time-saving measuring method: "We filled legume flour into our measuring mix- er and measured the torque during the mixing process with our Absorptometer C to determine the oil absorp- Brabender and Müller's Mühle successfully test new time-saving method for determining the quality of pulses. Faster measurement results of the oil absorption of legume flour Jessica Wiertz Manager Applications Brabender