Pulse flaking: Opportunities and challenges, a review

Pulses provide economic and health benefits to people in many countries around the world; however, their adoption in western diets, particularly in processed and formulated foods, is limited. One strategy to increase the level of pulses in western diets is to improve pulse accessibility to the ready-to-eat (RTE) food market sector. Pulses have compositional and structural differences when compared to cereals and behave differently during processing. While there have been numerous studies on pulses processed using traditional processing methods, there are limited studies describing processing of pulses as a major ingredient in RTE forms such as flakes. To understand the full processing potential of pulses, systematic studies are required using commercial-scale RTE pilot processing equipment coupled with fundamental property determination techniques to evaluate the effects of processing and pulse material on pulse flake attributes. In-depth studies of pulse properties and their processability are likely to result in the production of high-quality pulse-based foods with superior health benefits. This review explores the current and potential opportunities for processing pulses with a focus on flake products. The roles of pulse type and major structure-forming components such as fiber, carbohydrates, and proteins on end-product quality of processed pulses are discussed.