Abstract – Utilization of cowpeas for human food

ABSTRACT

This paper reviews the research and outreach accomplishments of the cowpea utilization project sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development-funded Bean/Cowpea Collaborative Research Support Program. Research has examined a limited number of cultivars and has taken as its starting point mature, dry seeds. A broad spectrum of food quality issues have been studied, including:•safety concerns and physiological effects associated with consuming legume seeds and products made from them;•chemical composition and nutritional quality of the seeds and products;•physical and functional behavior of seeds and products; and•socioeconomic aspects including sensory quality of seeds and products, consumer acceptance, and costs and impacts of technology adoption.Research foci have included:•The effect of pretreatment and storage on cowpea food quality;•processing whole seeds to improve food quality;•conversion of legume seeds into food ingredients, principally flours and meals;•processing seeds and ingredients to improve food quality; and•improvement of traditional foods and development of new foods from bean and cowpea-based ingredients.

Utilization of cowpeas for human food. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223002553_Utilization_of_cowpeas_for_human_food [accessed Dec 28, 2015].