Pulse Ingredients Market Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2022-2027

The global pulse ingredients market size was estimated at USD 20.7 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2022 to 2027.

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The pulse sector is undergoing dynamic changes at global, regional and country levels, to meet the challenge of growing demand in face of sluggish production growth. Projections indicate that demand for pulse ingredients will continue to grow in the short-to-medium term in developing counties due to growing population and rising per capita income. Pulse ingredients can play a major role in providing consumers with an alternative protein source.

Pulse Ingredients Market Dynamics:

Driving Factors:

  • Pulse starch offers various functions such as gelling, texturizing, binding, coating, thickening, and film forming. Due to its multi-functionalities, it has been used in various food applications, such as pasta and noodles, bakery, confectionery, soups and sauces, and meat and poultry.
  • Also, it is also widely in manufacturing vermicelli as a binding agent. Pulse starch is also a potential replacement for other starches in food & beverage applications since it is an economical option and offers a wide range of functions.
  • In the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, it is used for its gelling, thickening, and texturizing properties. Since pulse starch is a good gelling agent, it is used as an alternative to gelatin in the manufacturing of capsules. With the rapid growth and changing trends in the pharmaceutical industry, the demand for pulse starch is expected to increase. Companies such as Meelunie B.V. (Netherlands) and Parrheim Foods (US) are the major producers of pulse starch, such as pea starch, which caters to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
  • Pea starch is also used for manufacturing ethanol. Corn is an important raw material for the production of ethanol. The rapid growth in the corn ethanol industry has contributed to a significant increase in the prices of corn and ethanol, owing to which, the producers have started shifting from corn to low-cost alternatives such as pea starch, which, in turn fuels the latter’s demand. The production of ethanol by pea starch improves the fermentation rates and allows ethanol producers to expand their annual production capacity and decrease their capital costs by increasing the number of fermentations per year.

Restraints: Unpleasant flavor of pulses

  • Although the importance of pulse ingredients is increasing in the food industry, there is still a strong need to modify the flavor of pulse ingredients. Chickpea flour has a strong flavor and is being avoided in dishes with delicate flavors like sugar cookies or biscotti. Pea flour, on the other hand, does not give taste to baked items. The off-flavor of pulses is partially inherent and partially developed during harvesting, processing, and storage. Compounds such as aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, acids, pyrazines, and sulfur derivatives are responsible for the off-flavor in a few types of pulse ingredients. The consumer perception regarding the beany taste of pulses is expected to restrain the growth of pulse ingredients market.
  • The oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids through enzymatic and non-enzymatic processes is another major factor leading to the off-flavor element in pulse ingredients. Lentil and chickpea flours are prone to this oxidation due to their linolenic acid content. These are fatty acids that react with lipoxygenase to form volatile organic compounds that produce an off-flavor. However, processes such as micronization and enzymatic & ultrafiltration can help to modify the off-flavor element in pulse ingredients. These processes are important for manufacturers to include pulse ingredients in food products for consumers looking for meat alternatives for protein consumption.

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Opportunities

  • The demand for pulse ingredients is driven by an increase in processed and convenience foods production. Emerging economies such as India and China, in the Asia Pacific region, are exhibiting high growth. The Asia Pacific region also provides a cost advantage in terms of production and processing. High demand, coupled with low cost of production is a key feature, which will aid pulse ingredients suppliers and manufacturers in targeting market.
  • The increasing number of working women and nuclear families, improved standard of living, and changing lifestyles have contributed to the increase in demand for convenience and ready-to-eat foods. Busier lifestyles have increased the demand for on-the-go products so as to reduce the time spent on preparing meals; this results in a growing trend for snacks and consequently drives the market for RTE & bakery products, soups, and snacks prepared from pulse ingredients. The rise in demand for these products also results in an increased demand for healthier products incorporating pulse ingredients.
  • The pulse ingredients market is estimated to grow at a significant rate in the emerging markets of Brazil, and the Middle East, among others. The economic developments in these countries have resulted in an increase in the expenditure on food products. These economies are untapped markets and therefore offer significant opportunities for the pulse ingredients industry. They offer a huge consumer base with the growing need for processed foods. Steady sales of a variety of processed & packaged food products and prepared meals in the markets of developed economies have reached the maturity stage with limited growth scope.

Challenges:

  • With the increasing demand for pulses in developed and developing regions, there is a gap between the demand and supply of pulses. Fluctuation in pulse production has posed a challenge for the growth of the pulse ingredients market. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), diversification in pulse production has been witnessed in recent years.
  • Pulses are rich in proteins as well as plant-based and gluten-free products. The demand for pulse powder, pulse protein, and other emerging protein sources is soaring due to their wide applications in the food & beverage sector and well as the industrial sector. This has led to widespread production of pulses and pulse ingredients in the region. According to the FAO, pulse production climbed by almost 36 million MT between 1998 and 2018. The increased consumer demand for pulse protein and pulse fiber has resulted in the demand for pulse production, which has led to a surplus of pulse starch. Since pulse starch is a by-product of protein extraction from pulses, its production will be impacted by the increasing number of pulse processing activities.

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Asia Pacific is Projected to Account for the Majority of Share in the Global Market During the Forecast Period

Interest in pulses as a sustainable food source has expanded significantly. They are low in fat, high in nutrients, protein and soluble fiber. Because pulses do not contain gluten, they are acceptable for gluten-free diets for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Pulses’ high nutritional value makes them great food, especially in areas where access to meat and dairy products is difficult due to economic, distribution, and marketing barriers.

Japan is also one of the potential pulse ingredients market due to its large geriatric population base. This is expected to fuel the demand for protein-enriched food products, thereby boosting the sales of pulse ingredients. Thus, the Asia Pacific region is expected to generate high demand for pulse ingredients in the coming years owing to the large population base and developing economies shifting toward plant-based ingredients.

Key Players in Pulse Ingredients Industry

Top pulse ingredients companies include DeLaval (Sweden), GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft (Germany), Lely (Netherlands), Trioliet B.V. (Netherlands), VDL Agrotech (Netherlands), ScaleAQ (Norway), BouMatic (US), Pellon Group Oy (Finland), Rovibec Agrisolutions (Canada), CTB, Inc. (US), Afimilk Ltd. (Israel), Dairymaster (US), Maskinfabrikken Cormall A/S (Denmark), HETWIN Automation System GmbH (Austria), and JH AGRO A/S (Denmark).