Fermented Cowpea Flour: Production and Characterization of Selected Physico-Chemical Properties

A simplified solid-substrate fermentation and milling process for preparing flour from nondecorticated cowpeas (cv. White Acre) was developed. Yield of fermented flours compared to starting substrate was about 73%. Total solids loss (ca. 21–23%) was due to soaking (6%), boiling (11%), fermentation (2–4%) and grinding (2%). Moisture loss during drying was approximately 5%. The pH of fermented flours ranged from 6.4 to 6.9. Fermented flours had less packed density but greater unpacked density than the control flour. About 41–44% of flour particles passed through a 0.297-mm sieve; 65–72% of these particles were in the exclusion range of 0.037–0.074 mm. An increase in color saturation of fermented flours was due mainly to increased b* (yellowness) values. Fermented flours contained about 28% protein, 1.8–2.0% fat, 4.9–6.2% moisture, 2.7% ash, and 61–63% total carbohydrate.