Location: Sugarbeet and Bean Research
Project Number: 5050-21430-012-017-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Apr 1, 2025
End Date: Aug 1, 2027
Objective:
1) Develop value-added organic bean products using sustainable processing and packaging. 2) Sensory evaluation, assessment of consumer preferences and marketing potential of value-added organic bean products. 3) Evaluate package performance of pouches and microwave steamable bags for beans. 4) Disseminate of project results through interactive crop and product evaluations.
Approach:
Dry bean end use quality will be evaluated based on seed hydration, cooking time, and canning quality. Canning quality attributes, including canned bean appearance, color, water uptake and texture will be measured according to cooperator and USDA-ARS pilot scale canning protocol except that no additives (i.e., calcium chloride) will be included in the canning so they will meet organic requirements. Michigan grown organic pinto and black beans will be processed in recyclable retort pouches, and in non-recyclable retort pouches and will be assessed for their physical, chemical and sensory quality attributes. An individual quick frozen (IQF) method will be developed for pinto and black bean samples. Lectins, oligosaccharides, texture and sensory characteristics will be assessed on the samples. Consumer panels of 100-member each will be used for the sensory evaluation of (i) thermally-processed beans in recyclable retort pouches and (ii) IQF- processed beans in microwave steamable bags will be performed.. Online consumer choice survey experiments will be conducted. The key feature of the survey will be the online choice experiment on bean selection, which simulates retail purchases by presenting consumers with multiple products sold at different prices and asking them to select the one they are most likely to buy. This component aims to compare consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for conventional ready-to-eat beans processed in metal cans with three types of value-added ready-to-eat beans offered at different prices. An in-person consumer choice experiment will be conducted with around 400 U.S. bean consumers. Outreach activities with organic bean farmers and processors will be conducted. Thermally process all entries from variety trials and hold a ‘can/pouch opening’ event open to all farmers and processors to attend and rank their preferred varieties for end- use quality. Extension events will be provided to farmers and process.