Miller Magazine Issue:114 June 2019

55 COVER STORY JUNE 2019 The food industry is facing a tough trend equation. Is there one major key that accomplishes to satisfy all the above-mentioned consumer needs? Well, the answer is yes and the key is PULSES. Pulses are part of the legume family and the most common varieties are dried peas, edible beans, lentils and chickpeas. These seed varieties embed diverse nu- tritious properties and two particular aspects that cap- italize their healthy aspect. Pulses have a high amount of fiber: eating one cup of cooked pulses provides more than half the daily-suggested fiber requirement. On top of that, pulses are rich in protein: just a half cup of pulses provides the protein contained in one cup of cereals like rice or corn. Pulses are not perceived as al- lergic and can be consumed by people with intolerance to gluten. Beyond their health benefits, pulses are envi- ronmental–friendly. Pulses enrich the soil they grow on through nitrogen fixation and thus increase soil fertility. Moreover, pulses are efficient water users: the water requirement to grow one kilogram of pulses is about 40 times less than the water requirement to grow one kilogram of beef. Therefore, pulses are one vital key to sustainable protein security. Traditionally pulses have been a central part of nutrition in many countries of South Asia, the Middle East and Afri- ca. In these regions there are a multitude of dishes based on raw pulses, that need to be smoothed in water over a whole night and cooked between one and two hours before being ready for consumption. However, Bühler has been able to bridge the gap between the innate in- convenient factor of pulses and the fact that contempo- rary consumers are looking for innovative and convenient food products. From efficient cleaning, sorting, de-hulling and splitting through to grinding and further value added processes such as roasting and extrusion for pasta and snacks, Bühler is able to provide entire technology solu- tions for processing pulses. To sum up, pulses represent a highly valuable and sustain- able food ingredient. With established technology know- how and state of the art application centers, Bühler helps its customers to develop innovative, convenient and tasty pulses-based products to cater present and future consumer trends. If you are interested to find out more about Bühler competences in pulses processing technology, please contact pulses@buhlergroup.com Healthy, sustainable, versatile and convenient - pulses perfectly answer every food trend. When processed into functional ingre- dients they can nutritionally enrich common foods like bread, pasta and snacks with valuable fiber, protein and many micronutrients.