Prasad Jaripatke, head of pulses, spices and sesame segment, Buhler Group, told FoodProductionDaily.com the firm has dedicated10 years to pulse processing and it is a grain for the future that needs to be exploited.
Gluten-free snacks
He said it expects to see more by-products derived from pulses in the next three to four years such as gluten-free snacks and pasta and it wants to support the industry in a better way to add value to the grain, especially as it has a higher protein than other plant foods.
“We need to look at how they are consumed either whole, split, or as a pulse flour because they can be sprouted, fermented, steamed, boiled, roasted, fried, canned or frozen,” said Jaripatke.
“Buhler is there when it comes to post harvest technology, pulses are indigestible if we eat them direct but as a company we are doing more on ready-to-eat foods.
“There were losses affecting the price of pulses in the past but in 2000 we tried to understand the pains of the industry and did a lot of optimization of our processing equipment; proper dust management and a gentler handling of the product, which resulted in better quality.
“We can now do a lot of variations on our technology, from shorter processing times to higher yields, smart processing and food safety.”
Pulse productivity worldwide
Hakan Bahceci, president, CICILS, said pulses have immense benefits in developed or developing countries and IYOP is a chance to draw attention to farmers and improve pulse productivity worldwide.
He added we can expect to see a lot of activities in the next two years focusing on five themes; health nutrition and food innovation, market access and stability, creating awareness (eg with celebrity chefs); productivity and environmental sustainability and food security.
Bangalore, India
In conjunction with the CICILS partnership Scott Vallette, regional director EMEA, Buhler Aeroglide, announced the launch of its SmartDry Food processor in Bangalore, India.
The prototype has been used for extruded snack pellets, cereal products and snack food using pulses as raw ingredients.
The dryer uses a three-pass alternating plenum up airflow configuration, with process modules set 180° to each other so heated air can flow through the drying zone from both sides of the conveyor.
For extruded snack pellet applications, a pre-dryer with optional heat coil uses an up airflow and vibratory technology to pre-dry the product and provide non-sticky pellets.
“We want to take this technology from India into the whole of the Middle East. It’s a price sensitive line and it needs to be accessible to food processors in this region,” said Vallette.