For some time now, there has been a renewed interest in the cultivation and consumption of grain legumes. In fact, they have numerous agronomic, nutritional and environmental characteristics which reflect the wishes of the consumer and contribute to the development of the key points of the Farm to Fork strategy: a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system which considers the consumption of relation to the effects on human health, the ecosystem, society and the economy.
The Sobrero Institute of Casale Monferrato and the Marconi Institute of Tortona, in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences (DISAFA) of the University of Turin, have carried out an innovative research with which they have participated in the Italian selection of European competition ‘Youth and the sciences 2023’ and characterized four varieties of chickpeas and the same number of soybeans, evaluating in particular the pro-duction/hectare of grain, the water and oil retention capacity, the content of macronutrients ( proteins, lipids, fibers, sugars) and their antioxidant power.
Our project, say Noemi, Davide and Pietro, highlights the high potential of soy and chickpeas as raw materials suitable for vegetable protein-based food use and underlines their possible nutraceutical use, enhancing eco-sustainable attributes. With a view to a circular economy attentive to transforming waste into a resource, those of a variety of soybeans are examined, which prove to be a new source for vegetable flours for their protein content and antioxidant power.
The NUTRIBEANPlus project also obtained a special mention diploma from the Italian Chemical Society as the best project in the field of chemical disciplines and also obtained the certificate of merit from USAID, the United States Agency for International Development.
Source: Ansa
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