RETRACTED ARTICLE: Influence of infrared heating processing technology on the cooking characteristics and functionality of African legumes: a review

Abstract

African legumes are an important protein source in the human diet. However, a long and often extended cooking process has been identified as a major challenge in the consumption and utilisation of these legumes. The application of infrared heating as a method of shortening the cooking-time of African legume seeds and flour, by increasing their water absorption rates and pasting viscosity is emphasised in literature. Structural changes caused by infrared heating of moisture-conditioned African legumes include microstructural, molecular and interaction of the biomolecules in the seeds. However, to the best of the authors' our knowledge, no overview on elucidated mechanisms surrounding the microstructural and molecular changes of infrared heated African legumes has been done. The authors' therefore, present current knowledge of these mechanisms including certain highlighted factors such as seed sizes, moisture, surface temperature and time, affecting the efficacy of the application of infrared heating to African legumes. In conclusion, infrared heating is a promising technology that provides a potential solution to the consumption and utilisation challenges of African legumes and flour from these legumes, to enhance their consumption in the food industry.

Bambara Groundnut: An Underutilized Leguminous Crop for Global Food Security and Nutrition

“…Infrared heating (micronization) can also result in reduction in cooking time of Bambara groundnut ( 74 ), which not only helps to save energy and water but also has knock-on positive impacts on the retention of nutrients. This instant heating process, which causes starch gelatinization and protein denaturation, could enhance the utilization of Bambara groundnut seeds and flour for production of a diverse range of convenience products such as partially cooked seeds or instant flour ( 75 ).…”

Use of The Bromocresol Purple Index (BCPI) in Measuring The Efficiency of Soybean Heat Treatment

“…The results show a signi cant impact of micronization on the seed structure, as the stress values were ten times lower than those of the control samples. Infrared radiation treatment was also used in the case of African legumes [60]. As reported by the study, water is absorbed faster, which resulted in better viscosity of the pastes obtained.…”

The Effect of Processing on Bioactive Compounds and Nutritional Qualities of Pulses in Meeting the Sustainable Development Goal 2

“…Infrared heating, also known as micronization, is an emerging technology being used in food processing with limited applications in pulse processing (Ogundele and Kayitesi, 2019). It is based on the use of electromagnetic radiation with frequencies operating between the visible (0.38-0.78 µm) and microwaves (1-1,000 mm).…”

“…The use of infrared heating has many benefits over conventional heating under similar conditions. This includes efficient heating with temperatures between 750 and 930 • C, shorter cooking time, more homogenous heating, lower energy cost, and minimal loss in food quality (Rastogi, 2012;Ogundele and Kayitesi, 2019). However, infrared heating has low penetration power and could cause swelling and fracture in pulses when subjected to longer heating times (Krishnamurthy et al, 2008).…”