In order to obtain starch and proteins from the flour of legumes, in particular peas, the legume flour which has been treated with an aqueous decomposing agent, is fed into a first section (I) of a process line with several solids-liquids separation stages (6, 9, 10) for the purpose of extracting the proteins. The solid phase suspended in water from the final solids-liquids separation stage (10) of the first section (I) is then fed continually into a second section (II) of the process line with at least one separation stage (11) for separating the fibers from the starch and at least one solids-liquids separation stage for separating the starch from the liquid phase. The aqueous decomposing agent is formed from an alkaline concentrate (B) and the liquid phase separated by the starch in the second section of the process line. The alkaline concentrate (B) and the liquid phase separated by the starch in the second section (II) of the process line are fed into the first section (I) of the process line between the first and last solids-liquids separation stage (6 and 10, respectively). The liquid phase separated by the corresponding downstream solids-liquids separation stage (9, 10) of the first section (I) is fed back against the flow to suspend the solids phase fed into the upstream solids-liquids separation stage (6, 9). The liquid phase (6) separated by the first solids-liquids separation stage (6) of the first section (I) is drawn off from the process line for the purpose of separating the proteins.
The present invention relates to a process for extracting and refining the components of pea flour, characterized in that it consists of the steps of preparing a flour by grinding dried peas previously cleaned, sorted, blanched, freed of dust, introducing the flour thus obtained into water and separating the components of the pea flour using at least one of the pieces of equipment from a potato starch factory chosen from the group consisting of hydrocyclones, centrifugal decanters and sieves, without a stage for separating the internal fibers of the pea being carried out beforehand, devices comprising at least one of these pieces of equipment, and to a particular quality of pea starch thus extracted.
