Optimization Of The Debittering Process In Lupinus Mutabilis: Implications For Safety And Functional Quality

Abstract

Andean lupin (Lupinus mutabilis) offers strong potential as a source of flours and protein isolates, but its utilization requires a technically consistent debittering process that ensures sensory quality and safety. This article presents and evaluates an integrated protocol centered on four critical nodes: seed selection, hydration, cooking, and leaching. Selection homogenizes the lot and reduces variability; hydration defines imbibition kinetics and the point beyond which extending soaking ceases to be useful; cooking functions as a sanitary barrier and preconditions the matrix; and leaching, through scheduled water changes, completes alkaloid attenuation and stabilizes the system. The objective is to establish reproducible operating windows that link yield, microbiological safety, and technological suitability for direct consumption or further transformation. The analysis of results is prioritized over simple description: mass trajectories are tracked throughout the process, control indicators are monitored, and stages are compared, incorporating models that capture between-lot variability and multicriteria tools to guide plant decisions. The findings confirm consistent input lots, hydration that defines a clear operating point, cooking that acts as a critical control point and promotes diffusion, and leaching with scheduled changes that achieves debittering and stability without compromising the grain’s suitability as an ingredient. The proposed sequence establishes plant-transferable parameters that balance efficiency, safety, and functionality, consolidating a debittering protocol geared toward the industrialization of Andean lupin.