STUDY OF WATER ABSORPTION CAPACITY AND DEHULLING OF CHICKPEA SEEDS

Chickpea is a promising legume crop used in various sectors of the food industry. Global chickpea production has been increasing recently, with India, Australia, Pakistan, and Turkey being the leading producers. In Ukraine, 20,000–30,000 tons of chickpeas are grown annually on an area of 15,000–30,000 hectares, mainly in the Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Chickpea product manufacturing in Ukraine remains limited, with an estimated production of groats at 4,000–5,000 tons, flour at 1,000–2,000 tons, and flakes at a few hundred tons. The main obstacles include low demand, weak promotion, and the lack of technological standards for processing this crop. The prospects for development are associated with expanding the range of chickpea products, including instant porridges, breakfast cereals, and snack bars. The quality of chickpea seeds is regulated by DSTU 6019:2008, but there is no regulatory framework for processing, which complicates the production of chickpea-based products. Water heat treatment is an important technological process in the food industry aimed at reducing the content of anti-nutritional compounds such as protease inhibitors, phytates, tannins, and lectins. Soaking at 25–40°C for 8–24 hours facilitates the dissolution of water-soluble anti-nutritional compounds, while steaming at 100°C inactivates thermolabile components. These methods improve the organoleptic properties, digestibility of proteins and micronutrients, as well as the taste characteristics of the end products. The combination of soaking and steaming is the most effective approach. A study was conducted on the water absorption process of chickpea seeds during soaking in water at different temperatures (20°C, 40°C, 60°C). It was found that increasing the temperature accelerates water absorption through the seed coat and promotes more intensive swelling of proteins and starch. At 20°C, the water absorption process is slow, reaching 35% moisture content within 120 minutes. A temperature of 40°C ensures an optimal balance between absorption rate and saturation level (40 %). At 60°C, the highest water absorption (45%) is observed, but excessive softening may affect the grain structure. Furthermore, soaking activates enzymatic processes that contribute to reducing the content of anti-nutritional substances. The obtained results serve as a basis for optimizing technological regimes for chickpea grain preparation for further processing, particularly to decrease anti-nutritional components and enhance the nutritional value of the final products. Water-heat treatment of chickpea seeds, which involves moistening to 16%, conditioning, and steaming at a steam pressure of 0.20 MPa followed by drying to 14%, significantly enhances the efficiency of the dehulling process by intensive abrasion. This effect is explained by structural and functional changes in the seed coats and kernel: the coats become more plastic and separate evenly, while the kernel increases its mechanical strength. This contributes to a reduction in grain damage and, consequently, increases the yield of whole kernels at all stages of the process, while simultaneously reducing the formation of broken kernels and flour. Compared to dehulling untreated seeds without prior preparation, hydrothermal treatment consistently provides a higher yield of whole kernels and improves the quality of the final product.