Content of amino acids in raw and frozen broad beans (Vicia faba var. major) seeds at milk maturity stage, depending on the processing method

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the amino acid content in products obtained from broad bean seeds, at the milk maturity stage, and the quality of the protein in broad beans. The investigation included raw seeds, fresh seeds cooked to consumption consistency and two kinds of frozen products prepared for consumption: which were obtained using the traditional method (blanching the seeds before freezing) and the ready-to-eat type (cooking the seeds before freezing). Compared with the raw material, a similar (α = 0.01) content of amino acids in 100 g of the product was found in cooked fresh seeds. The seeds obtained from the ready-to-eat frozen product prepared for consumption contained higher amounts of all the amino acids than the traditional frozen product, and contained higher levels of some amino acids than were found in the product cooked from fresh seeds. Expressing the results per 16 g of N, the differences in the content of amino acids were much smaller. The limiting amino acid was cysteine with methionine (CS 74-86), the EAA index varying within the range 109–118.