Lupins Find Use in Making Tempe
SYDNEY - Jun 2/10 - SNS -- Australia's lupin industry is being given a significant boost from increased interest in using them as a partial replacement for soybeans in the manufacture of "Tempe" in Indonesia.
The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has supported research leading to developing lupins as a partial substitute for soybeans in the production of tempe.
Tempe is one of the most commonly consumed foods in Indonesia and lupins are a cheaper yet nutritionally superior grain compared with soybeans.
Lupin tempe was officially launched in Jakarta by the WA Minister for Agriculture and Food Terry Redman in April 2010 and the product is expected to become commercially available in Indonesia in coming months.
Lupin tempe has been developed as a result of a joint project led by Vijay Jayasena, of the School of Public Health, Curtin University, conducted in collaboration with Leonardus Kardono of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences-LIPI.
The research is funded by the GRDC supported GrainFood Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). The CRC is actively working with tempe manufacturers in Indonesia to commercialize the process for making tempe from lupin.
br />Initial Demand 50,000 MT
Professor Jayasena said he expects initial demand for WA lupins for tempe production in the coming year will be about 50,000 metric tons (MT).
Current WA lupin production is less than 1 million MT and supplies predominantly the stock feed industry.
"Lupins are currently grown in WA mainly for their rotational benefits and are largely a break-even crop," Professor Jayasena said.
"But increased demand for lupins through this new market could help to increase prices, making lupins a cash crop and leading to increased WA production.
"The WA grains industry will also benefit from value-adding to a local commodity, as dehulling is expected to take place in WA."
Professor Jayasena said Indonesia annually uses about two million MT of soybeans, including about one million MT of imported soybeans. Up to 40% of soybeans are used in tempe production.
"Researchers have developed a method of tempe production which could result in up to 50% of soybeans being substituted with lupins, which are half the price," he said. "Hopefully in the next few years we will be able to produce tempe made from 100% lupins."
Tempe Popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand
Indonesia is the world's main consumer of tempe, but the product is popular throughout the region including in Malaysia and Thailand.
Lupin tempe is one of a range of healthy lupin-based food products developed by food scientists at Curtin University under the leadership of Professor Jayasena.
Lupin bread and biscuits are already available to consumers and it is expected that high fibre, high protein, lower fat and lower starch lupin chips will be commercially available within the next few months.
"Due to its unique chemical composition including high protein and dietary fibre levels, low sugar contents and the presence of bioactive compounds, lupin has a number of health benefits," Professor Jayasena said.
"These include lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, as well as reducing obesity and diabetes."
Professor Jayasena said more research is needed to determine which lupin varieties are best suited to different lupin-based food products.
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