How superheated steam treatment influence food properties?

Abstract

Superheated steam is gaining wide attention as a novel processing technology in the food sector. It can be generated at atmospheric pressure, under vacuum or at above atmospheric pressure. At atmospheric superheated steam is generated above the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure by adding additional heat to saturated steam. Moreover it will not condense till the temperature is maintained above the saturation temperature of steam at atmospheric conditions. Apart from drying various commodities like fruits, vegetables and by-products from agro-industries, it can be utilized as a pre-treatment also to cereals, pluses, legumes seeds/flour. In grains it is majorly being used to improve functionalities of grain flour. Now days it’s getting more consideration as an alternative to blanching to inactivate enzyme, beany flavour and reduction of anti-nutritional factors. In our study influence of superheated steam treatment was on the nutritional, anti-nutritional, functional, and structural properties of legume seeds flour were evaluated. The treatment conditions positively influenced the properties of legume seeds flour and optimised conditions were obtained using principal component analysis.