Pulse based flours
Ingredion has introduced 10 new pulse based flours to enable food manufacturers and retailers to produce new food products that are highly nutritious, protein fortified and certified gluten free. The Homecraft Pulse flours are made from faba bean, chickpea, yellow lentil or yellow pea. Available in different particle grades, the new flours have differing content levels of starch and protein to meet a variety of food manufacturers’ needs in different applications.
Containing around twice as much protein as cereal grains, these pulse based flours provide a way for manufacturers to meet the continuing trend for nutritious, protein enriched food products. Naturally gluten free, the flours offer a healthy alternative to traditional and other gluten free flours, enabling the development of highly nutritious, gluten free bakery products. The new ‘coarse’, ‘fine’ and ‘high starch’ flour categories are suitable for a wide of range of bakery products including snacks, bread, cakes and cereals and pasta.
Mona Rademacher, European marketing manager, wholesome and bakery at Ingredion, explains: “We know that consumers are increasingly searching for foods with a good source of protein and for products that are made from ingredients such as flour, which they recognise from their kitchen cupboard.”
Pulses have always been used in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines, but increasing consumer interest in Europe in health and wellbeing also makes pulse flour a particularly good base ingredient for food in this region. In fact, the number of products launched across Europe containing pulse flour has increased considerably over the last six years.
Mona continues: “Made from a sustainable source, pulses are naturally high in protein and gluten free, key attributes that consumers are looking for. We have introduced this range of pulse based ingredients, with a ‘flour’ label on packaging, to help manufacturers differentiate their products and develop new and nutritious foods for the European market.
“Manufacturers can produce exciting new products such as gluten free snacks, breads and pastas and have the opportunity to add ‘source of protein’ claims to products, such as crackers.
“The expertise of our in-house chefs and food technologists ensures recipes for new foods are tried and tested, providing reassurance to food manufacturers and simplifying the development process for them.”
Ingredion’s pulse flours have a homogeneous particle size, ensuring consistent colour and taste in the final food product. Working with supplier of pulses, AGT Foods, Ingredion is able to deliver excellent batch-to-batch consistency with a consistent particle size. The ingredients are derived from a single variety, controlled crop at AGT’s state of the art ingredient facilities.
The 10 new flours are part of three flour categories that differ in particle size, nutrient content and starch content.
