Effects of Traditional Processing of Haricot Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on Nutritional Composition

Seven varieties of haricot bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)were studied for their nutritional composition as influenced by different traditional methods of processing. ʹAyenewʹ variety recorded significantly maximum 1000 bean weight while it was least in ʹMexican 142ʹ variety. Nutritional composition of homogeneous freeze-dried samples indicated that the carbohydrate content ranged from 60.7 to 61.9% in raw, 60.5 to 63.6% in cooked and 62.5 to 70.1% in the dehulled and cooked beans. The protein content varied from 20.2 to 23.8% in raw, 23.1 to 26.9% in cooked and 22.7 to 26.9% in dehulled and cooked beans. The ash content, however, ranged from 3.4 to 3.9% in raw, 2.4 to 3.3% in cooked and 1.6 to 2.2 % in the dehulled and cooked beans. The study indicated that dehulled cooking improved carbohydrates and proteins and, decreased the ash content of haricot bean varieties.