Lathyrus sativus and Nutrition Traditional Food Products, Chemistry and Safety Issues

This book addresses the traditional use of a specific crop legume, grass pea (Lathyrus sativus), as a food product and ingredient for typical food products. Grass pea has very interesting nutritional qualities, including an abundance of proteins and peculiar organoleptic properties. As the crop also shows an enhanced resistance to adverse conditions, it is used in many geographical areas as the main ingredient of certain traditional foods. On the other hand, grass pea is questionable as a source of human and animal nutrition because it contains a neurotoxin – ß-N-oxalyl-L-a,ß-diaminopropionic acid – that is known for its neurological effects. The related disease is referred to as ‘neurolathyrism’ and occurs when grass pea-based foods are consumed in large quantities.

The book is divided into five chapters, the first of which summarizes the chemical and biochemical properties of grass pea and provides nutritional evaluations. The second chapter provides an overview of foods containing Lathyrus sativus around the world, while the third describes Italian foods in detail. The fourth chapter focuses on the problem of neurolathyrism in connection with human nutrition and health. In closing, the fifth chapter sheds light on the historical and traditional food products sector from a food traceability and authenticity standpoint.

Michele Barone is an experienced consultant working in the field of food science and technology. His work focuses mainly on food packaging and correlated failures and on selected food products with a dedicated tradition (for instance, the Mediterranean Diet). More recently, he has written about food traceability systems for European cheese products. Michele currently works at the Association ‘Componiamo il Futuro’ (CO.I.F.) in Palermo, Italy (sector: professional training). He has recently published ‘Dietary Patterns, Food Chemistry and Human Health’ and ‘Quality Systems in the Food Industry’ in the series SpringerBriefs in Chemistry of Foods.

Rita Tulumello, a biologist with a degree in Industrial and Food Biotechnologies from the University of Palermo, Italy, chiefly works on chemical and microbiological analyses related to food and industrial (non-food) areas. Her past experience concerns the evaluation of microbiological and chemical profiles related to various food products, including cow milk cheeses and environmental samples. In this regard, she has co-authored articles on food chemistry that focus on the estimation of antioxidant properties ascribed to several polyphenols in vegetable tissues and their potential use in meat preparations.