WEST Australian researchers have developed an Asian fermented food product called tempe from lupins.
This displaces its traditional base ingredient of soyabeans
The breakthrough, after more than four years of research at Curtin University in Western Australia, should see lupins elevated from being a traditional stockfeed-type grain to a food-quality product.
Tempe, which looks similar to tofu, originated from Indonesia but is also popular in Malaysia, Thailand and other South East Asian countries.
The lupin tempe was developed by a team led by Curtin University's Vijay Jayasena, with collaboration from Indonesian scientists.
It was supported by the Grain Foods Co-operative Research Centre in Sydney and the Grains Research and Development Corporation.
The new tempe was made from a 50:50 mix of dehulled lupins and soyabeans.
Prof Jayasena said he hoped the research team would have a tempe made totally from lupins within 12 months.
He said the current stumbling block in achieving that goal was finding an appropriate inoculant with a micro-organism to ferment the lupin.
Dehulled lupins are cheaper but more nutritional than soyabeans.
Prof Jayasena said lupins were high in protein and dietary fibre, low in sugars and had a number of health benefits.
"These include lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, as well as reducing obesity and diabetes," he said.
Prof Jayasena said incorporating lupins into a food-quality product should increase the value of lupins.
"Lupins are currently grown in WA mainly for their rotational benefits and are largely a break-even crop," he said.
"But increased demand for lupins through this new market could help to increase prices, making lupins a cash crop and leading to increased production."
According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Australia produced about 400,000 tonnes of lupins last year, although the five-year average to 2007-08 was 750,000 tonnes.
Lupins are largely grown for the stockfeed industry. Victoria produces about 30,000 tonnes of lupins each year.
The lupin tempe was launched in Jakarta in April but should become commercially available to Indonesian consumers within the next few months.
The West Australian researchers are also working on the development of other food products from lupins.
