Differentiation of legumes through elemental chemical composition using factor analysis

The proximate composition (water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and ash and also sodium, potassium and chloride ions) of some legumes in the diet of a clinical hospital, over a 10-year period, has been determined. From the average values, or their graphical representations, large differences between several kinds of legume can be observed, but these differences are clearer and better explained by chemometrics methods (factor analysis and varimax rotation) which produce groupings of the samples into three types (fresh, canned and frozen) according to two factors: nutrients and salt.