New method for value addition in ?Bathua?

VICE-CHANCELLOR OF the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology (CSA) Dr VK Suri said that agro scientists at the University have developed a new method for better utilisation of Bathua (Chenepodium Album L). The technique had proved to be very effective.

VICE-CHANCELLOR OF the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology (CSA) Dr VK Suri said that agro scientists at the University have developed a new method for better utilisation of Bathua (Chenepodium Album L). The technique had proved to be very effective.

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While delivering the welcome address at the four-day international conference on “Post Harvest Technology and Value Addition in Cereals, Pulses and Oilseeds” at the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology (CSA) here on Monday, Dr Suri said that the simple technique for better utilisation of Bathua was developed in which bleaching of Bathua foliage for five minutes followed by rinsing in water removed up to 76 per cent of the oxalates and 59 per cent of Phenolics.

The techniques were also developed to extract leaf protein from Bathua for food use involving fractionation (separation at minute level) process.

He further said that by-product foliage from vegetable crops such as potato, carrot and cauliflower were also successfully subjected to fractionation process yielding leaf protein concentrates, suitable for human consumption and for feeding poultry as well.

Similarly a simple technique for detoxification of linseed meal for enrichment of wheat flour was also developed and it was found that a blend of wheat flour and de-toxicated

linseed meal in the ratio of 80:20 could be used for preparing chapaties having 61 per cent higher protein than the wheat-flour chapaties.

Besides, several genotypes of different crops were identified as superior in quality traits and accordingly were recommended for suitable end uses, the Vice-Chancellor Dr VK Suri said.