Why Pulses are the Next Big Thing in Beverage

 In Natural Products Insider, Press
Photo Credit: fao.org

Photo Credit: fao.org

When the United Nations named 2016 the International Year of Pulses, I have no doubt that many of us in the food and beverage industry (myself included) weren’t familiar with this culinary term. However, upon doing some research into this hot topic, I quickly came to the realization that pulses are the next group of in-demand ingredients because they leverage all of the biggest trends in the beverage industry.

 So, what are pulses exactly and why are they so well positioned for growth? Pulses are a subgroup of legumes that are harvested for the dry seed. The most notable pulses are pinto, kidney, navy and lima beans, lentils and chickpeas. They’ve gained popularity because they align with the growing segment of consumers that value health, sustainability, and are vegetable-forward eaters.