Agroindustrial project analysi

148 AGROINDUSTRIAL PROJECT ANALYSISLEGUMES. Storage of oil-rich seeds also requires their drying toavoid deterioration; best conditions for drying are to a moisturelevel of approximately 7 percent. 3 8 Because the moisture level instored seeds depends primarily on atmospheric moisture, leguminousseeds stored in humid, tropical, or subtropical regions maydeteriorate from mold growth and the release of free fatty acids.Mold causes a loss of organoleptic quality (for example, off-flavorin cooked beans) and aids the potential formation of toxic compounds(mycotoxins). When the seed accumulates free fatty acids,it has a lower yield of edible oil and a lower "smoke point" to itscrude oil (the smoke point is the temperature at which oil becomessmoky). For instance, the free fatty acid content of cottonseedsincreases from 4.3 percent to 30 percent when cottonseed containing11.9 percent moisture is stored in bins for ten days. 39 Storedleguminous seeds deteriorate more quickly with a high moisturelevel when a large percentage of already damaged seeds are present.40MEAT PRODUCTS. Fresh meat products are susceptible to rapidspoilage from both microbial growth and enzyme action. The organolepticquality of fresh meat is so perishable that there areprobably no significant nutrient losses before spoilage makes theproduct unacceptable for consumption. Meat must be refrigeratedto prevent deterioration. Stored processed meats, however, do notlose significant nutrients unless they are stored in high temperatureswith a high water content.FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. Although fruits and vegetables usuallycontain few proteins, they are the major source of vitamin C. Severalfruits and vegetables (for example, apricots, peaches, melons,cherries, carrots, leafy green vegetables, and sweet potatoes) alsoare sources of provitamin-A carotenes. Thus, the most relevant dataon nutrient retention in fruits and vegetables concern vitamins C38. V. L. Frampton, "Effect of Commercial Processing of Oilseeds and Oilson Their Composition; Part A: Effect of Processing on Composition of Oilseeds,"in Nutritional Evaluation of Food Processing, 1st ed., p. 238.39. A. M. Altschul and others, Oil and Soap, vol. 20 (1943), p. 258.40. A. M. Altschul, Cottonseed and Cottonseed Products, ed. A. E. Baily(New York: Interscience Publishers, 1948).