Protein is normally the focus of pulse production, but research shows value can also be gained from the starch byproduct
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are seeking new uses for pulse starches in the food and biomaterial sectors.
Byproduct market research aims to reduce food waste, increase efficiency and add more value to crops grown on the Prairies.
While protein is often the goal for pulse crops in Western Canada, starch makes up more of the seed.
“When you look at the composition in the pulses, it’s about 40 to 50 per cent of pulse starch,” said Mehmet Tulbek, president of the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre.
“So the protein is only 20, 22 to 24 per cent. When people sell it as a whole (grain), that’s a different story. But when they fractionate, the protein is more valuable. Then the second value is the fibre and the lowest value is the starch portion.”
The market value of protein to starch is now about 21 to 1. As more uses for the starch are found, the value for it and for pulses as a whole could increase.
Today, the most common use for pulse starches is as an additive in animal feed, although there are possible avenues for expansion as an ingredient in batters, breading, pastas, Chinese noodles and other snack foods.
“We’re creating this really high-value product in protein, but then we’ve got this starch left over,” said Amber Johnson, director of marketing and communications at Saskatchewan Pulse Growers.
The farm group is one of the industry stakeholders supporting research into pulse starches. Johnson is also on the national market development team working with Pulse Canada, which is focused on pulse market development and diversification.
In Manitoba alone, peas went from fewer than 100,000 planted acres a year to 191,400 acres reported this spring. That was helped by the entry of pea protein giant Roquette, which chose Portage la Prairie for its major pea protein plant.
“As interest in pea protein grew, it became very obvious to us that we needed better, higher value uses for that starch byproduct and that’s kind of where this (research) and some other projects came to be,” Johnson said.
“And so, we’re one of several contributors to this particular project, in hopes to find more, higher-value uses for that starch component of the fractionation process.”
University of Saskatchewan research has shown that pulse starch has strong gelling capabilities, making it a strong contender as an ingredient for adding texture or firmness, or acting as a stabilizer in food. In a product like Chinese glass noodles, the starch could allow structure to set quicker and provide a firmer texture.
That same trait has applications for biomaterials. Depending on type of starch and what is mixed with it, a conductive hydrogel can be formed. In one case, a mixture of pea starch, polyvinyl alcohol, water and salt created a gel that was flexible and tensile even at -20 C.
Other potential materials include sheer films and packaging useful for pharmaceutical and industrial applications.
Pulse starch is also being considered for use in low glycemic foods for human consumption. While this aspect of the research is ongoing, a modified dough made from the pea starch and water showed a reduction in glycemic response with human subjects.
In 2020, Pulse Canada and market research firm Euromonitor worked to price index pulse starch according to end use application. They found that its use in paper and packaging could double the starch’s value, and industries like bioplastics could nearly triple it. Uses in food and sports nutrition, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals also have potential high value.
“There’s so many places that this could go and there’s a lot of factors to consider,” Johnson said. “Some of these really high value markets have low volume because you only need a little bit of it to do what you’re trying to do. But that’s all a component of our market development strategy, which is all about diversifying (for sustainable demand).”
Tulbek noted that, while the entire world grows pulses and many countries have their own processing facilities, Canada can pack a major punch in the sector.
“Western Canada, they have the sustainably produced pulses, really high-quality pulses, that are ready for the marketplace,” Tulbek said.
Several processing and manufacturing companies across Canada and the United States use Canadian-grown pulses. Many are primarily focused on peas, but are getting into fababean and lentil processing as well.
However, the growth and market for pulse starches is ultimately determined by consumers.
“That speed (of growth) is really defined by the success of the product and the market acceptability,” Tulbek said. “If the market likes it, if consumers like it, or if there’s industrial application … it may be faster.”
He said he’s seen strong growth in pulse starch utilization over the last 10 years. Johnson added that part of the growth is end user education to increase interest and awareness about pulse possibilities.
“The more opportunities for these products that we can create, (that) means that there’ll be sustainable demand, which is really important for our producers,” she said.