Evaluation of Roasting in the Dry Removal of Saponins in Quinoa Grain in a Fluidized Bed
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is an Andean species, which played an important role in the diet of ancient cultures along with other Andean grains, corn, and potatoes. The quinoa grain is known for its good quality and high content of protein (14%) and lipid (6%), compared to cereals, as well as for its adaptability to adverse weather and soil conditions, for which it is considered a species that could guarantee global food security within the current context (climate change). The quinoa grain grown in the Andean region is characterized by having a high content of saponins, which give it a bitter taste, so they must be removed to levels recommended for human consumption (<0.12% in Bolivia or less in international markets).
The removal of saponins from the episperm of the grain is carried out dry, wet or mixed, in a traditional and industrial way. The industry uses technologies that are used in cereals and adapts to their requirements, as well as technologies developed locally for quinoa, e.g. UPB technology, although it is still at an experimental level. In this sense, it is intended to evaluate the temperature and time of roasting in the dry removal of saponins in ecotypes/varieties of quinoa grain in the prototype (fluidized bed reactor) built by the UPB, from the determination of saponin content, mass loss, nutritional quality (protein content) and physical quality (broken/split grain or loss of embryo) in the processed quinoa grain.
Responsable:
Carmen Carla Quiroga Ledezma, PhD
Email: ccquiroga@upb.edu
