Examination of effective utilization of stored beans as a new cooking / processing method and new foodstuff with functional characteristics

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K14006
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 08030:Family and consumer sciences, and culture and living-related
• Research Institution: Toyo University (2020-2021); Ochanomizu University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Koriyama Takako 東洋大学, 食環境科学部, 講師 (20825369)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 豆 / 貯蔵 / 硬化 / 調理 / 速度論的解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Beans stored under high temperature and high humidity do not tend to soften no matter how much they are heated, and their palatability decreases. This phenomenon is called hardening of beans. In this study, its mechanism and the cooking method corresponding to the harden beans were investigated. Focusing on the effect of "soaking" that is always performed in bean cooking, the water absorption rate and softening rate of harden beans were analyzed. From the obtained values, a cooking method was determined to avoid the occurrence of the curing phenomenona and predicted the optimum cooking time until the beans reached to the appropriate softness. In addition, stored beans showed significant changes not only in the seed coat but also in the composition and tissue of the cotyledon, which suggested that this also affected the functionality of the beans. From these facts, we obtained useful knowledge for effective utilization of stored beans in the future.

Free Research Field

調理科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

貯蔵により硬化した豆は、有効な活用方法が確立されておらず、未利用のまま廃棄されてしまうことが多いため、食品ロスの観点から国内外で大きな問題となっている。豆類はわが国において食文化および伝統的な調理・加工品において欠かせない食材であり、これらの問題を解決するためには、貯蔵後の硬化した豆に新たな価値を付加し、食品素材としての用途を確立することは不可欠である。本研究の結果より、貯蔵後の豆はそのままでは利用価値が低下しているが、適切な調理法を用いることで機能性食品としての付加価値を与える可能性が期待できることが明らかとなった。今後貯蔵豆を有効的に活用するための有用な知見を得ることができた。