Likeable legume snacksBy MARCIA WOOD

GARBANZOS, lentils, and dry peas and beans can now make crunchy, great-tasting snacks that are also good for you. That's according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their university colleagues who've created the unique, healthful treats that can come in a variety of shapes, from crisp bits to tubular puffs. Researcher Jose De J. Berrios of ARS' Western Regional Research Center in Albany, California, and Juming Tang and Barry Swanson at Washington State University in Pullman, are seeking a patent for the technology that led to the low-sodium, low-fat, cholesterol-free foods. The snacks are also rich in protein and dietary fiber. Some of the pre-market products have already been taste-tested by about 500 volunteers梞ost of whom gave the foods an enthusiastic "thumb's up". One snack made of crisp, fully cooked garbanzos is ready to eat out-of-hand or could be tossed with a salad of leafy greens, sprinkled on a bowl of hearty soup, or added to traditional party mixes. The scientists used a standard piece of food processing equipment, a twin-screw extruder, to make the snacks. Extrusion technology isn't new. However, with the exception of soybean, other legumes such as lentils, dry peas and garbanzo beans have not been used for the development of extruded food products. The scientists are the first to determine the processing speeds, heating temperatures, amounts of moisture and formulations that create consistent, desirable textures and tastes from every batch of legume flour. Result of this study demonstrated that lentil, dry peas, and garbanzo beans could be used to develop nutritious and convenient snack-type food products. The USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, based in Moscow, Idaho, helped fund the research. Currently, ARS ?the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency ?is looking for industry partners to commercialize the nutritious snacks.Nike