Influence of Varieties on the Flow Characteristics of Chickpea Flour and the Physico-Functional Properties of Seeds and Splits

Background and Objective: Chickpeas and their products are important and affordable sources of protein in Ethiopia, especially compared to animal-based proteins. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of variety on the physical and functional properties of seeds and split chickpeas, as well as on the flowability of chickpea flour from four selected varieties. Materials and Methods: Chickpea varieties including Arerti, Hora, Eshete and Geletu were obtained from the Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Centre. The analysis involved whole seeds, splits and flours from these varieties. Extensive cleaning removed foreign matter and sorting excluded broken or spoiled seeds. Data analysis utilized Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with SAS software at (p<0.05). Results: The study found significant variations in the physical and functional properties of chickpea seeds and splits among varieties, highlighting the need for equipment adjustments. Chickpea flour’s flowability properties, such as bulk and tapped density, also differed notably (p<0.05) among varieties, with bulk density ranging from 606.78 to 643.33 kg/m³ and tapped density from 834.58 to 917.45 kg/m³. Similarly, the compressibility index varied significantly (p<0.05) across varieties, indicating poor flowability. The color variations in chickpea flour were significant (p<0.05), with L, a* and b* values ranging from 82.77 to 86.12, -0.67 to -1.49 and 22.07 to 24.97, respectively, alongside varying chroma and hue angle values ranging from 22.06 to 25.01 and from 86.60 to 87.87̊, respectively. Conclusion: The study’s findings can inform the development of diverse processing equipment, optimizing their design by accounting for variability.