Food Extrusion Workshop Showcases New Opportunities for Pulses

At a WSU workshop last week, pulse growers and processors learned how the extrusion process can open up a new market for their crops.

Dr. Girish Ganjyal said the extrusion process of puffing up a grain or other commodity through heat and pressure is already widely used.

“With the pulses, it just gives you another opportunity to bring in more fiber and more protein.”

With shoppers being more health conscious in their purchasing, adding pulses to other products, or creating standalone pulse products, would make them healthier, and they are also gluten free.

Ganjyal said work is already under way to understand how to best incorporate pulses into snack foods, cereals and other products created through extrusion.

“Right now I see people are using lots of products. They are trying their best to come up with the products that can use pulses and yet meet the taste criteria for the consumers. They’re doing a lot of work in that area right now.”

Ganjyal noted there are a wide variety of pulses that could allow for processors to meet specific fiber and protein goals with their products.

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