Pilot‐Scale Evaluation of Pretreatments for Climate‐Resilient Crops to Formulate Macaroni With Improved Nutritional, Antinutritional, and Sensory Qualities

Pasta is made from durum wheat semolina. It is low in protein, fiber, and micronutrients. The potential of locally grown, climate‐tolerant crops, that is, tef and faba bean, is yet to be fully exploited to combat this issue. This pilot‐scale study conducted a technical evaluation, based on a limited number of independent experiments, and limited biological replication, the findings should be interpreted as indicative rather than conclusive. This study investigated the effects of different pretreatment methods: fermentation, hydrothermal treatment (HTT), and germination on the nutritional quality and antinutritional factors of tef and faba bean, and their application in protein‐ and mineral‐enriched macaroni. Raw faba bean contained 22.80 g/100 g crude protein, which increased to 24.30 g/100 g after 2 h of HTT and to 24.41 g/100 g after 72 h of germination. HTT for 48 h decreased phytic acid by 11%, tannins by 50%, and the antinutritional compounds vicine and covicine by 65%. Germination also reduced raffinose‐family oligosaccharides by 78%–88%. Mineral availability improved as well, with iron increasing by 68% and calcium by 9.4%. In tef, fermentation for 72 h raised crude protein to 9.8 g/100 g, whereas 48 h of HTT reduced phytic acid by 6.4% and tannins by 38.5%. Overall, these treatments improved nutrient retention and lowered antinutritional components. Using these results, 16 macaroni formulations were produced from blends of durum wheat (W), fermented tef (T), and HTT‐treated faba bean (F). The 60:2:38 (W:T:F) ratio showed improved protein (17.19 g/100 g), fiber (7.23 g/100 g), and iron (8.65 mg/100 g), while maintaining acceptable sensory quality (5.5/7) and low cooking loss (< 8%). HTT also reduced undesirable bean flavors, and faba bean addition improved firmness (6.71/7). The optimized product represents a sustainable strategy to combat protein‐energy malnutrition and improve mineral bioavailability.