Prospects for the use of alfalfa seeds in the production of special food products

The article is devoted to the problem of protein nutrition deficiency among the planet's population. The urgency of attracting protein-containing vegetable crops to diets of various groups of the population is revealed. It is noted that in recent years, the population has seen a decrease in the intake of complex carbohydrates, an increase in the intake of easily digestible carbohydrate and fatty foods. The consequence of an unbalanced diet is a decrease in life expectancy, an increase in endocrine and cardiovascular diseases. It is found out that alfalfa is a domestic unpretentious agricultural crop with a high yield and is widely cultivated in Russia. It is found out that alfalfa is a domestic unpretentious agricultural crop with a high yield and is widely cultivated in Russia. The prospect of attracting alfalfa to food production has been established. The chemical composition of the seeds of alfalfa has been studied. The article presents the results of studies to determine the content of vitamins, the composition of amino acids, the amount of macro- and microelements in the object. It was found out that the chemical composition of alfalfa seeds is characterized by a high content of protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins (A, B3, B5, B9, E, K), macro- (potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus) and microelements (iron, manganese, copper, zinc). Lucerne can be an effective source of leucine, lysine, isoleucine, valine and threonine. Based on the above studies, it is concluded that the seeds of alfalfa are a promising raw material for the replacement of animal proteins, the enrichment of low nutritional vegetable proteins, the regulation of the chemical composition of catering products, the creation of analogues of food products and the development of specialized products of baby food. Alfalfa seeds are proposed for the development of low-calorie food formulas, food products with low cholesterol and the creation of specialized products for the correction of metabolic disorders of the body. It is shown that alfalfa, along with other domestic agricultural crops, is very promising in food production.