Antinutrient removal in yellow lentils by malting

BACKGROUND

To improve the current low per capita consumption of lentils, this study was aimed firstly at minimizing the anti‐nutrient content of two yellow Moroccan and Italian lentil seeds by resorting to the malting process and then at testing the resulting decorticated flours as ingredients in the formulation of gluten‐free fresh egg pastas.

RESULTS

The most proper operating conditions for the three malting process steps were identified in a bench‐top plant. The first (water steeping) and second (germination) steps were studied at 18, 25 or 32 °C. After 2‐ or 3‐h steeping at 25 °C and almost 24‐h germination, 95 to 98.8% of the lentil seeds sprouted. By prolonging the germination process to 72 h, the raffinose or phytic acid content was respectively reduced by about 80 or 95%, or 27 or 37%, respectively. The third step (kilning) was carried out under fluent dry air at 50 °C for 24 h and at 75 °C for 3 h. The cotyledons of the resulting yellow‐lentil malts were cyclonically recovered, milled, and chemico‐physically characterized.

CONCLUSIONS

Both flours were used to prepare fresh egg‐pastas essentially devoid of oligosaccharides, and low in phytate (4.6‐6.0 mg/g) and in vitro glycemic index (38‐41%). However, the cooking quality of the fresh egg pasta made of malted Moroccan lentil flour was higher for its higher crude protein content and lower water solubility index.

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