The Governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing $270,000 in a pilot project to increase the use of pulse flours in the commercial bread-making industry, creating new opportunities to expand markets and value-added processing, Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced today.
Funding for this two-year project is provided through the Grain Innovation Hub, which was announced by the Canada and Manitoba governments in May 2014. It will be used to purchase and install specialized equipment, including a fermentation tank, at the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) in Winnipeg. Warburtons, the largest bakery brand in the United Kingdom, and Cigi will use this equipment to research pulse based bakery products, including bread.
The baking sector represents a large market opportunity for pulse crops, which include beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils. Pulses have many nutritional benefits, making them a desirable ingredient, and the project will help identify ways to improve the baking processes and flavour of breads made with them. Other factors, including texture, colour and nutritional content, will also be evaluated.
Source : Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada