According to new research from Ingredion, 65% of European consumers welcome the addition of pulse-based ingredients to food products. Those surveyed have an overall positive perception of pulses, with chickpeas (51%) and lentils (43%) the most widely known pulse flours and proteins, followed by peas and faba beans.

In the 2017 survey, nearly 90% of consumers can see benefits of pulses as ingredients and were found to associate pulses with multiple health benefits including natural, low fat and nutritious.

Janin Zippel, product manager Pulses and Rice, Europe at Ingredion, explains, "The healthy eating trend is strong across Europe and finding new ways to enhance the nutritional profile of products using ingredients that are both familiar to consumers and deliver the necessary functionality can be challenging. In this respect, the research is really encouraging."

Pulses are also high in protein, typically containing between 20% to 25% protein, which is double that of wheat and this alongside their ease of use as an ingredient, makes them an excellent alternative source to meat.

Zippel adds, "Pulse flours are versatile too, and can be used in a wide variety of applications. It could be chicken nuggets made with a lentil flour batter instead of wheat flour, or meat-free chicken nuggets made with lentil protein, both products were tested on and well received by consumers in our research. We found that by adding lentil protein to a product, 42% of those surveyed were more likely to buy.

"One area of concern for consumers that came out of the study was the possible impact of pulses on the taste and colour of a product. This highlights that there is still work to be done to educate consumers on the variety of applications that can now benefit from pulses in particular clean-taste products that offer a neutral flavour profile.

"Manufacturers are already working with these clean taste pulse options in application areas that previously werent possible, such as dairy and dairy alternatives, great for vegan products, as well as sweet bakery and cereals.

"Attitudes towards food are changing, many consumers want healthier food that is better for them and adding pulses to products can be a great way to achieve this."