POTENTIAL USE OF PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SQUASH SEEDS (Cucurbita moschata), PEA PODS (Pisum sativum) AND GREEN BEAN (Phaseolus vulgaris) IN AGROINDUSTRY 4.0

Abstract

Castilla squash (Cucurbita moschata), pea pods (Pisum sativum) and pinto Saltillo green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seed shells are considered organic wastes due to the lack of knowledge about their physical, nutritional and medicinal characteristics and their relevance in agroindustrial production. The consumption of functional, synthetic and semi-synthetic products increases worldwide, as does the need for research on non-traditional species with agroindustrial potential. The objective of this research was to analyse the physical characteristics of Castilla squash seeds with shells, whole pods of Saltillo pinto green bean, and pea pods, and to transform them into flours to identify their potential use in Agroindustry 4.0. Pea pods showed the greatest width (11.17 mm) and thickness (9.19 mm), the greatest length was found in green bean pods (125.18 mm), while squash seeds showed the lowest values in these three variables. The squash seed flour presented higher internal friction (0.98) and higher external friction on wood (1.32) as did the pea pod flour (1.33) also on wood. In contrast, the mean values of strain percentage by hardness, recovery after work and specimen length showed no statistical difference (p > 0.05) between the masses. These flours meet the specifications of the Mexican standard for wheat flour; therefore, they can be used in blends to fortify products or in the manufacture of industrial machines for processing the raw material.