Miller Magazine Issue: 141 September 2021

60 COVER STORY MILLER / september 2021 As we enter a new decade and a new era of food, puls- es are at the forefront of the industry due to their value as nutritious, sustainable, and functional foods. At Pulse Can- ada, our Market Innovation team is working closely with companies who are exploring the use of pulse ingredients because of their unique benefits. Pulse flours serve as an ex- cellent source of protein (20-30%) and fibre (5-20%), provid- ing substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals (including iron, potassium, magnesium zinc and folate) while being low in fat. Plus, because of pulse crops’ natural nitrogen-fixing properties and Canadian growers’ sustainable crop practic- es, companies can lean on Canadian pulses to build their sustainability claims as well. Consumers are more educated than ever on where their food comes from and how it’s made, and one of the ways manufacturers are meeting this demand is through the use of pulse flours. Up until recently, pulse flours mainly gained popularity through gluten-free applications, but as manufac- turers aim to create more nutrient-dense products, pulse flours are getting recognized as a unique opportunity to make products more aligned with consumer wants and from ingredients they feel good about. So it comes as no surprise that in a relatively flat flour industry, the expected growth for pulse flours is thriving. Pulse Canada recently worked in collaboration with Euromonitor International to assess the market potential for pulse flours in packaged foods consumed in the US market. Where growth in the use of wheat and all other flours is minor, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR; 2020 to 2023) of pulse flours is predicted at 20.1%. This expected growth for pulse flours serves as an exciting opportuni- ty for millers looking to expand their product offerings. Pulse flours have been commercially milled for years using an array of techniques ranging from stone, hammer, pin and roller mills. Millers looking to take advantage of the growth in the industry have to consider the quality and consistency of their product—two aspects that are deeply affected by milling technology. Research conducted at the Canadian International Grains Institute (the technical division of Cereals Canada) published in Cereal Foods World journal “In a relatively flat flour industry, the expected growth for pulse flours is thriving. Pulse Can- ada recently worked in collaboration with Euromonitor International to assess the market potential for pulse flours in packaged foods consumed in the US market. Where growth in the use of wheat and all other flours is minor, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR; 2020 to 2023) of pulse flours is predicted at 20.1%. This expected growth for pulse flours serves as an exciting opportunity for millers looking to expand their product offerings.” Pulse Flours—the fastest growing flour in the industry Janelle Courcelles Director of Quality & Processing Pulse Canada