Cereals & Grains Association
Log In

Innovations in pulse processing technology and equipment.
C. MÜHLHERR (1). (1) Bühler AG, Uzwil, Switzerland

Germination is a natural way to improve the nutritional value, the functional and the sensory properties of grains, such as pulses and cereals. Particularly, pulses are a naturally rich source of protein, soluble and insoluble fibers, vitamins and minerals. This highly nutritious crop is unfortunately still underexploited at industrial scale and it is rarely used as an ingredient in processed food products due to nutritional and sensory issues. The presence of some indigestible carbohydrates causes in fact digestive discomfort for some people, while the presence of natural anti-nutrients reduces the bioavailability of several micronutrients. Moreover, the strong taste of pulses makes it more challenging for food manufacturers to include them in food formulations. Germination is a known powerful process able to naturally reduce the anti-nutrients and remarkably augment the nutrients in pulses. Traditionally it is performed at household level in many countries, but now an industrial process, called Pargem, has been developed in order to apply the advantages of natural germination at an industrial scale, and therefore enable the development of innovative food ingredients. The chemical properties of several Pargem products have been extensively analyzed, showing a remarkable reduction in the anti-nutrients content, along with significantly increase in micronutrients. When integrated into food formulations, the Pargem ingredients show also peculiar functional and sensory properties, mainly related to the chemical and structural changes that take place within the grain during germination, such as improvement of the simple sugars and enzymatic activity. These results clearly indicate that Pargem grains and flours have a remarkable potential as valuable, novel and fully natural ingredients with a high nutritional value and improved properties for novel food formulations.

View Presentation