The effect of processing on the amino acid content in green cauliflower

Abstract

The aim of the work was to evaluate the level of amino acids and quality of protein in fresh green cauliflower and in three kinds of products as eaten: fresh cauliflower after cooking; and two types of frozen product: frozen cauliflower obtained using the traditional method (blanching-freezing-frozen storage-cooking); and by the modified method (cooking-frozen storage-defrosting-heating in a microwave oven). Frozen products were stored for 12 months at -20 °C. Fresh inflorescences contained 24.32 g amino acids in 1 kg of edible parts. Expressed as g per 16 g N the content was 86.59 g, with essential amino acids constituting 44%. Culinary processing and the freezing process did not result in a drastic decrease in amino acid content apart from tyrosine. For all the samples the limiting amino acids of the first order was cystine with methionine and of the second order leucine.