Processing of Pulses

• Pulses belong to the family leguminosae. The family

leguminosae is made up of many species which are
cultivated all over the world. Legumes have a wide range of
usage, some are used as fodder or green manure, some are
used as silage, while others are extracted for their oil,
notably soyabean and groundnut.
• Pulses such as lentils, dried beans, peas and chickpeas have
been staple foods for many civilizations. Yet today, their
nutritional benefits are often greatly underestimated. In
some cultures pulses have a stigma of being a ‘poor man’s
food’ and are replaced by meat once people can afford
meat.
• The reasons why pulses are underestimated have
been widely discussed:
• 1) the length of cooking time (much longer than
vegetables);
• 2) some beans can cause flatulence because they
contain oligosaccharides, a carbohydrate that is
difficult to digest;
• 3) raw pulses contain high levels of 'anti nutrients'
such as phytate, tannin and phenol, which can limit
the body’s absorption of minerals, such as iron and
zinc.
• While pulses are low in calories (260-360 kcal/100 g dried
pulses), they are high in complex carbohydrates and fibre,
which means they are slowly digested and give a feeling of
satiety.
• Pulses promote a steady, slow-burning energy while their
iron content helps transporting oxygen throughout the
body, which boosts energy production and metabolism.
• The fibre in pulses are not generally absorbed by the body
and thus increase stool volume and transit.
• The fibre also serves to bind toxins and cholesterol in the
gut so these substances can be removed from the body.
This improves heart health and lowers blood cholesterol.
• The nutritional importance of pulses are
numerous, they can be a valuable source of
energy. The energy content of most pulses have
been found to be between 300 and 540 Kcal /
100g. Energy is required for all metabolic
processes. The energy of Pulses come from the
nutrient supply of protein, fat and
carbohydrate.
 Pulse Proteins
• Pulse proteins are chiefly globulins but albumins are also present in
a few species. Their nutritional importance depends not only on the
quantity of protein but also on its quality, which in turn depends
upon the amino acid composition.
• Pulse proteins are deficient in sulphur-containing amino acids,
particularly in methionine and in tryptophan. It is only in the case
of soyabean that the tryptophan level is equal to the FAO
provisional pattern.
• All the pulses contain sufficient amounts of Leucine and
Phenylalanine. Lysine and threonine contents are low only in
groundnuts.
• Overall, the most satisfying pulse protein from the standpoint of
the FAO provisional pattern is that of Soyabean.
• There are number of factors which reduce the nutritional
value of pulse proteins. A majority of pulse proteins have
high molecular weights and are very compact molecules,
and this reduces the digestibility of the native protein.
• Some proteins are found complexed with carbohydrates
and the carbohydrate moiety has a negative influence on
the digestibility of native protein.
• Proteins also form complexes with phytin and polyphenols
present in pulses, contributing to their low digestibility.
 Carbohydrates
• Food pulses contain about 55-60 % of total carb’s, including starch,
soluble sugars, fibres and unavailable carbohydrates.
• Starch accounts for the major proportion of carbohydrates in legumes.
• The unavailable sugars in pulses include substantial levels of
oligosaccharides of the raffinose family of sugars, which are known for
flatulence in man and animals. These sugars escape digestion, when
they are ingested, due to lack of alpha-galactosidase activity in the
mammalian mucosa.
• Consequently, the oligosaccharides are not absorbed in the blood and
are digested by the microflora of the lower intestinal tract, resulting in
the production of the large amounts of CO₂ and a small amount of CH₄.
 Lipids
• Lipids form about 1.5% of the dry matter in pulses except in
groundnut, soyabean and winged beans. Most of the pulse lipids
contain high amounts of polyunsaturated acids.
• These undergo oxidative rancidity during storage resulting in a
number of undesirable changes, such as loss of protein solubility, off-
flavour development and loss of nutritive quality.
 Minerals
• Pulses are important sources of Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron,
Potassium and Phosphorus.
• A major portion (80%) of Phosphorus in many pulses is present as
phytate phosphorus.
• Phytin complexes with proteins and minerals and renders them
biologically unavailable to humans and animals.
• Processing methods for pulses reduces or eliminates appreciable
amounts Phytin.
 Vitamins
• Pulses contain small amounts of carotene, the provitamin A.
• Many pulses contain 50-300 IU (International Units) of Vitamin A per
100 g.
• The Thiamine content of pulses is approximately equal to, or exceeds
that of, whole cereals, the average value of the vitamin being 0.4-0.5
mg/100 g of pulses.
• Pulses are also fairly rich in niacin (2.0 mg/100 g)
• They are poor in riboflavin, and dry legumes are almost devoid of
ascorbic acid.
Processing of Pulses
Soaking

Germination

Decortication

Cooking

Fermentation
 Soaking
• Soaking reduces the oligosaccharides of the raffinose family.
• It also reduces the amount of phytic acid in pulses.
 Germination
• Improves the nutritive value.
• Ascorbic acid content of pulses increases manifold after 48 hours
germination. And these germinated and sprouted pulses have been
used to treat scurvy.
• Riboflavin, niacin, choline and biotin contents increases.
 Decortication
• Dry pulse seeds have a fibrous seed coat (husk), which often is
indigestible and may have a bitter taste and hence removal of skin is
required.
• Number of methods are used for decortication. Simple method of
soaking the seeds in water for short time. The husk takes up more
water than seeds and that can be easily separated by rubbing.
• Alternative methods like Pounding and Winnowing can also be used.
• Roasting also renders the husk easier to separate.
 Cooking
• Cooking destroys enzyme inhibitors and thus improves the nutritional
quality of food pulses.
• Also it improves palatability.
• Overcooking will lead to reduction in quality of proteins, loss of lysine.
• Prolonged heating will result in loss of vitamins
 Fermentation
• Fermentation increases their digestibility, palatability and nutritive
value.
• Toxic substances can be eliminated by fermentation.
• Improves the availability of essential amino acids and hence increases
the nutritive quality of protein.
 Soyabean
• Soyabean is useful as both pulse and an oilseed.
• Different varieties with different coloured seeds, varying from white,
yellow and brown to black are produced.
• Soyabean with its high protein content, could be a substitute for
expensive meat products.
• It is estimated that one hectare of land used for grazing purposes will
produce enough meat to satisfy one man’s protein needs for 190
days; planted with soyabeans will yield protein for 5496 days.
• Also soyabean has an hypoglycemic effects.
 Processed Soyabean products
1. Soya oil:-
• Selection of high quality, sound, clean, dehulled
yellow soyabeans is very imp.
• Soyabeans with dark coloured seed coats are avoided
and are undesirable factors.
 Soyabean

Cracked and adjusted for moisture content

Rolled into flakes

Solvent extracted with n-hexane

Refined and Blended

Storage and marketing

 2. Meal
• Material remaining after solvent extraction of soyabean flakes with
50% protein content.
Toasting (heat treatment with moist heat)

Ground in a hammer mill

Soyabean meal
(used as animal feed/Aquaculture of catfish)
 3. Flour
• Obtained from solvent extracted flakes and contains about less than
1% oil.
• Full-fat soya flour is made from unextracted, dehulled beans and
contains about 18-20% oil.
 4. Infant formula
• Infant formula based on soya are used by lactose-intolerant babies.
• Sold in powdered, ready-to-feed or concentrated liquid forms.
Extracted soyabean products
1. Soyabean curd: Tofu
Grinding soaked beans

Cooking

Straining

Precipitation of curd by addition of CaSO₄

Allowed to settle, then separated, washed and dried

Refrigeration
 2. Soyabean milk
Grinding soaked beans to make an emulsion

Cooked for 20 mins

Margarine, sugar, salt, lime are added

Homogenization

• Good for infant feeding

• Consumable by people allergic to cow’s milk due to some enzyme
deficiency.
• Due to low sodium, it is prescribed to high BP patients.
Fermented products of Soyabean
1. Soya Sauce:
Soyabeans are cooked for 4-6 hours and then cooled

Mixed with roasted ground wheat

Seeded with Aspergillus oryzae

Addition of salt and product is matured for 6 months-3 years

After ripening, product is strained

Soya sauce contains 67 % moisture content and 5-6 % protein

 2. Soyabean paste:
• Japanese product
• Fermenting agent is Aspergillus oryzae.
• Cooked and then fermented from 2 weeks - 2 years.
3. Tempe
• Indonesian product
• Fermenting agent is Rhizopus oryzae.
• The fungus is cooked and mashed soyabean is allowed to incubate for
24 hours during which time the mould penetrates the mash.
• Then the ferment is exposed to air and the tempe is ready for
consumption.
4. Natto
• It is an Japanese product.
• Fermenting agent is Bacillus subtilis.
• The cooked soft beans are inoculated with the bacterium and the
fermentation is complete in 20 hours.
• The finished product is grey in colour, has a mushy flavour, eaten with
rice.