Modelling the effect of peanut and cowpea flour supplementation on quality of Chinese-type noodles

Cowpea flour: a potential ingredient in food products

Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) are an important grain legume in East and West African countries as well as in other developing countries. The U.S. is the only developed country producing large amounts of cowpeas. High protein (18 to 35%) and carbohydrate (50 to 65%) contents, together with an amino acid pattern complementary to that of cereal grains, make cowpeas potentially important to the human diet from a nutritional standpoint. Despite their potential as an inexpensive source of protein and energy, cowpeas are underutilized in the U.S. and other industrialized countries. A simple technology for preparing cowpea flour would stimulate increased consumption of this legume. This paper reviews the status of cowpea flour production technologies and uses of cowpea flour in various food products.

Use of peanut and cowpea in wheat-based products containing composite flours

Cowpeas and peanuts are legumes of major dietary and economic importance. They are favored worldwide because of their palatability, contribution to nutritional status, and low cost as a protein source compared to animal protein. Flours processed from cowpeas and peanuts have unique physico-chemical and sensory properties when used in composite flour mixtures. Appropriate blends of cowpea and peanut flours to replace wheat flour in Chinese-type noodles, muffins, and tortillas were determined using modelling and optimization procedures. For noodles, 15% peanut flour and 8% cowpea flour supplementation produced an acceptable product with high protein content (21%). For wheat flour replacement in muffins, up to 43% cowpea and up to 44% peanut flours may be used. However, when wheat flour replacement is 50% or greater, cassava flour should comprise 56 to 72% of the blend with a few exceptions. In tortillas, 24% cowpea and 46% peanut flours produced products similar in quality characteristics to those made from 100% wheat flour. The systematic approach used in these studies is more efficient than the traditional substitution method to optimize sensory qualities of wheat-based products containing composite flours.