Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) as nutrient-rich and versatile food legume: A review

Abstract

Lentil is one of the most important food legumes consumed widely throughout the world. Lentils are produced in diverse agroecological regions, such as Asia, North and South America, Africa, and Oceania. During the last two decades (2001–2020), world production of lentils increased by 107%, from 3.15 to 6.54 million metric tons. Canada leads lentil producing countries (with 44% share of the global output), followed by India and Australia having 18% and 8% share, respectively. Being a rich source of protein, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and folic acid, lentils are considered a healthy food nutritionally. Lentils also contain a number of bioactive phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, total phenolics, phytate, saponins, and tannins. Dehulling and splitting of lentils are the most-commonly used basic processing methods. Additional value-added operations include milling of whole or dehulled lentils and isolating fractions that are rich in protein and starch that can be used as ingredients in diverse food applications. Lentils are aligned well with the changing consumer trends towards meat alternatives, plant-based diets, and healthy food options. Furthermore, due to increased environmental concerns for the production of meat, consumers are minimizing or even excluding meat consumption and opting for non-meat foods produced in a sustainable manner. This review article provides an overview of lentil's production/trade, consumption trends, nutritional profile, value-added processing, emerging research and development trends, and the role of lentil production in environmental sustainability.