The first UK consumer study on the use of Bambara Groundnut as an ingredient in products has shown that sharing information on sustainable features increased consumers’ positive emotional connection to food.
The first UK consumer study on the use of Bambara Groundnut as an ingredient in products has shown that sharing information on sustainable features increased consumers’ positive emotional connection to food.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham’s School of Biosciences tested Biscotti and crackers made with Bambara groundnut against standard commercial products. The study published in Food Research International showed that the main driver for accepting this new ingredient was how people felt when given information about its sustainability credentials.
Alternative crops
With current global challenges such as population growth, climate change and water scarcity, it is critical to develop strategies to achieve food security. The University of Nottingham’s Future Food Beacon of Excellence and Malaysia campus along with Crops for the Future research projects have been investigating ways to tackle this by researching alternative crops that are resistant to climate change.
They have discovered that Bambara Groundnut found in Africa puts limited demands on soil and is capable of growing in nutrient poor soils where most crops would not thrive. Bambara is high in carbohydrate and protein and is gluten free so could offer an alternative to rice and wheat flour.
Read more at University of Nottingham
Image: Bambara pods growing in rows. (Credit: University of Nottingham)
