Western Australia
October 22, 2008
Source:
GRDC's The Crop Doctor
While human consumption of lupins
is presently at a very low level, with most of the crop sold to
intensive animal industries, it has exciting potential for human
use and a growing national and international market.
With high protein levels of 30 – 40 per cent, high dietary fibre
(30 per cent) and low fat, lupins have a very low glycaemic
index.
So, it’s little wonder that the world’s food industry is
becoming increasingly interested in exploiting their benefits.
However, the problem of allergenic proteins in lupin seeds that
trigger peanut like allergies in susceptible people is yet to be
solved, although work is
underway to identify these proteins.
The frequency of this allergy in the general population is
unknown, but thought to be low. Up to 30 per cent of those
allergic to peanuts may also be allergic to lupins.
According to Dr Sofia Sipsas, Department of Agriculture and Food
WA, lupins could deliver a number of important health benefits
to counter ‘metabolic syndrome’, a collection of associated
health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure, insulin
resistance and elevated cholesterol.
She said food containing lupins can suppress appetite, benefit
glycaemic control, improve blood lipids and bowel health and
reduce hypertension.
Dr Sipsas told the recent 12th International Lupin Conference in
Fremantle, which was sponsored by the
Grains Research and Development
Corporation (GRDC), that lupins are increasingly being used
in human nutrition.
In their simplest form, legume ‘bean sprouts’ have many
nutritional benefits, reducing bioactive anti-nutritional
factors, while boosting beneficial isoflavones, phytosterols and
some vitamins.
Lupin hulls are now being milled into a coarse bran for fibre
enrichment in bread in Australia and Europe and have potential
as a niche market for an all-bran cereal for coeliacs.
They’re also finding their way into Asian fermented food as
tempe and miso, the Japanese condiment and soup base.
Lupin kernel flour is being used in pizza bases, biscuit and
cake flours and many traditional European breads.
Lupin protein isolates have many desirable attributes, with
potential use in dairy substitutes, sausage fillings (including
vegetarian sausages), emulsions for salad dressings, baby food
and diet products and scent and taste transporters.
Lupin ice cream has already been introduced in Germany.
These are all promising developments for Australia’s export
lupin market and especially for WA, the world’s leading lupin
producer.
The Crop Doctor is GRDC Managing Director, Peter Reading |
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The Crop Doctor is
GRDC Managing Director,
Peter Reading |
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