Cigi and Warburtons studying pulse flours

Winnipeg—The Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) is working together with Warburtons, the largest bakery brand in the United Kingdom, to research pulse-based bakery products and ultimately increase the use of pulse flours in the bread-making industry.

“By working with Warburtons as a commercial partner on this project, there is a direct link to an end-customer,” says JoAnne Buth, Cigi CEO, in a release posted on the Cigi website. “It signifies the potential of pulses to the food industry as ingredients with nutritional benefits that can contribute to improved health and well-being of consumers.”

In the release the institute acknowledges that the project has received over $2.9 million in funding including:

• $1.8 million from Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG)
• $680,000 from Warburtons
• $270,000 from governments of Canada and Manitoba (Grain Innovation Hub)
• $158,000 from Western Grains Research Foundation
• $25,000 from Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers

Some funds are being used to acquire equipment, including a fermentation tank installed at Cigi in Winnipeg. According to the release, the three-year project (running through March 31, 2019) has three primary objectives:

• Developing a pulse database summarizing new and existing information on the compositional, functional and flavour properties of pulses of greatest interest to the food industry, as well as investigating the effects of pre- and post-milling treatments, particle size and storage (The pulse database will be available for use across the food industry and housed on the SPG web site.)
• Investigating the use of pre-ferment processing on the functionality and end-product quality of doughs containing pulse flours
• Exploring the development of pulse-based bakery products that meet specific health and nutrition targets

The release states that Warburtons has conducted previous research at Cigi using pulse flours and believes the use of pulses can lead to products higher in protein and fibre, and lower in gluten and carbohydrates.