by Marion Nestle
Aug
1
2016
Food Navigator Special Edition: Pulses, seeds and grains
Food Navigator is an industry newsletter with articles about topics of interest to food companies. This is one of its occasional collections of columns on a particular topic, in this case, beans, seeds, and grains.
Beans, chickpeas, peas and lentils are now appearing as added value ingredients in every part of the store, from chips and snacks to salads, soups, pastas, dips and baked goods. Non-GMO, gluten-free, high in protein, fiber and micronutrients, and low in fat, beans in particular are undergoing a PR renaissance among consumers, who have been eating them for years in tacos and burritos, but now see them as a more wholesome alternative to soy, rice, corn and potatoes in their snacks. So where will they go next, and who is driving innovation, both from a formulation, and branding perspective? We also take a look at ancient and ‘heirloom’ beans and grains.
Manufacturers answer FAO’s call to increase pulse consumption in 2016 with new bean-based snacks: In declaring 2016 the year of the pulse, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN issued a call to action to increase the consumption and popularity of legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and beans which are under used in the US… Watch now
- How consumer demand is resurrecting ancient grains from the past: Data from SPINS reveals that sales of products featuring ‘ancient grains’ grew 16.6% year-over-year to $198,884,358 in 2016… Read
- Rancho Gordo brings heirloom beans to American doorsteps: Working with farmers from Central California, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, and Mexico, Napa-based Rancho Gordo is resurrecting long-forgotten beans and bringing them back to the American table…Read
- Modern Table Meals serves up bean pasta as meal kits or plain: The team of moms is cornering the category with a double whammy-pulse-based pasta for both the time-strapped parent and the aspiring chef with more time on their hands… Read
- The Good Bean rides bean-based snacking wave in the Year of the Pulse: The Good Bean – a Berkley-based snack brand built around the garbanzo bean (chickpea) – more than doubled its sales in 2015 and expects to do so again in 2016 as pulse-based snacking (beans, peas, lentils) gains momentum. .. Read
- US volumes of pulses surge 8% in 2015, outpacing overall fresh food growth of 1%: Volumes of pulses (defined as leguminous crops – beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils – harvested for dry grains) surged 8% in the US in 2015, while overall volumes of fresh food (retail, foodservice, institutional channels combined) grew by a more modest 1%, according to Euromonitor International… Read
- Beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas: The hottest ingredients in the snack developer’s toolbox? North American pulse growers still export a lot of their wares, but domestic demand has ramped up significantly in recent years as beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils have started to infiltrate every aisle in the grocery store, from hummus, bean dips, pasta and salads, to chips, brownies and nutrition bars, according to pulse processor AGT Food and Ingredients…Read
- Inclusion of pulses in processed food grew the fastest, says Pulse Canada: Of the many culinary ways pulses can be used, inclusion as an ingredient in snack foods or pasta really ramped up, Pulse Canada data says. We chatted with the industry association to learn more about the state of pulses… Read
Bean pasta category emerges to meet demand for high-protein, fiber-packed and gluten free options: Ongoing interest in products that are gluten free and better for you are colliding with the international push to celebrate 2016 as the year of the pulse to create a burgeoning category of pasta created from legumes rather than more traditional wheat or rice… Display
- Whole grains consumption increases thanks to plant-forward diet, focus on new flavors: Once shunned for their distinct taste and texture, whole grains are gaining acceptance among more Americans for these same attributes thanks in part to innovative restaurateurs and chefs who are using them to round-out increasingly popular plant-forward dishes, according to the Whole Grains Council… Read
- World Peas acquired by Snack it Forward: Austin based World Peas – best known for its coated peas and fava bean snacks, has been acquired by L.A. based Snack it Forward LLC – which makes freeze-dried fruit snacks (Sunkist Fruit Chips) and trail mix… Read
- NY start-up unveils the ultimate plant-based protein snack: BRAMI lupini beans: Lupini beans have a nutritional profile to die for. The problem is, most Americans have never heard of them. But that could change rapidly if the New York based entrepreneur behind BRAMI snacking beans gets his way… Read
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Quinoa’s rise to superfood superstar status and the challenges it must address: Quinoa was one of the first superfoods to take America by storm more than a decade ago, and one of the few such stars to sustain its reign long enough to push past being a fad food to become a staple on restaurant menus and households across the country, but the popular grain faces challenges as it become commoditized. .. Listen now
- Eating more whole grains could reduce risk of chronic diseases, study finds: New research that demonstrates a clear association between eating whole grains and the reduced risk of chronic diseases supports the 2015 dietary guideline’s recommendation that Americans “shift” their diet by making at least half their grains whole grains. .. Read
