Location: Small Grain and Food Crops Quality Research
Project Number: 3060-21650-002-063-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 15, 2024
End Date: Dec 31, 2025
Objective:
Objective 1) To subject chickpea flour to several relative humidities and temperatures (accelerated storage) and assess the nutrient composition, functional properties, and shelf-life characteristic of the stored flour. The outcome of this object will be new knowledge regarding accelerated degradation of chickpea flour. 2) To assess, in real time, the change in nutrient composition, functional properties and shelf-life characteristic of chickpea flour that are stored in common commercial packaging and stored under conditions that mimic environmentally controlled storage and non-environmentally controlled warehouse conditions. The outcome of this object will be new knowledge regarding degradation of chickpea flour when stored in conditions typical of industrial packaging and storage.
Objective 3), To establish the impact of stored chickpea flours on quality characteristic of crackers and cookies. Outcome of this object is new knowledge about how stored flours impact sensory and quality characteristic of finished products.
Approach:
The impact of storage on the nutrient composition, functional properties and shelf-life of chickpea flour has not been extensively covered. Unlike most pulse crops, chickpea has a high lipid content (5-7%). Improper storage of pulses and pulse ingredients can lead to significant changes in quality and result in economic losses for producers and ingredient manufacturers. Many researchers have evaluated the agronomic, genetics and environmental impacts on functional properties and nutrient composition of pulses. In comparison, little effort has been directed toward understanding the impact of storage condition on chickpea flour functional properties and compositional (e.g., nutrients, phytochemicals) changes. Therefore, the overall project goal is to characterize the changes in nutrient composition, functional properties, and shelf-life of chickpea flour stored under diverse conditions experienced during short- and long-term storage. Objective one will address the storage of the chickpea flour under several relative humidities and temperatures (accelerated storage) followed by assessing the flour, protein and starch functionality and determination of the nutrient and phytochemical compositions of the stored flour. A second objective includes assessing, in real time, the change in functionality and nutrient composition of chickpea flour that are stored in common commercial packaging and stored under conditions that mimic environmentally controlled storage and non-environmentally controlled warehouse conditions. The third objective will be the application of stored flours in crackers and cookies to determine how stored flours impact sensory characteristic of finished products.
