Effect of preliminary and culinary processing on amino acid content and protein quality in frozen French beans

The aim of the study was to evaluate the content of amino acids and protein quality of French bean pods. The investigated material consisted of the raw vegetable, fresh pods cooked to consumption consistency, and two kinds of frozen products stored for 12 months at -20 degrees C and then prepared for consumption: frozen beans obtained using the traditional method (blanching before freezing) and frozen products of the ready-to-eat type (cooking before freezing). A comparison of the amino acid content in the product prepared for consumption showed that the lowest quantities were found in French beans obtained using the traditional method; products obtained using the modified technology and beans cooked directly after harvest had similar levels of most amino acids. The content of amino acids in 16 g N was less varied than in 100 g of the product. The protein in all the three products prepared for consumption as well as that in fresh bean pods hardly differs, as confirmed by the values in the essential amino acid index (EAA). The first limiting amino acid was methionine with cystine and the second was lysine.