August 10, 2016
Canada and Manitoba Governments Support Research Aimed to Increase Commercial Bread Market for Pulse Flours
The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing $270,000 in a pilot project to increase the use of pulse flours in the commercial bread-making industry, creating new opportunities to expand markets and value-added processing, Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced today.
“Canada is a world leader in pulse production and the Government of Canada is proud to support the ongoing research that contributes to this success,” said MacAulay. “Funding research to find new and innovative uses for pulse crops contributes to economic prosperity for farmers, while meeting the needs of today’s health conscious consumers, here and around the globe.”
Funding for this two-year project is provided through the Grain Innovation Hub, which was announced by the Canada and Manitoba governments in May 2014. It will be used to purchase and install specialized equipment, including a fermentation tank, at the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) in Winnipeg. Warburtons, the largest bakery brand in the United Kingdom, and Cigi will use this equipment to research pulse-based bakery products including bread.
“Consumers are looking for healthier, more nutritious foods that taste great, and Manitoba-grown pulses can help meet this demand,” said Eichler. “This research project is exciting because it will help identify new markets and opportunities for pulse growers, adding value to crops grown here at home.”
The baking sector represents a large market opportunity for pulse crops, which include beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils. Pulses have many nutritional benefits, making them a desirable ingredient, and the project will help identify ways to improve the baking processes and flavour of breads made with them. Other factors, including texture, colour and nutritional content, will also be evaluated.
The goal of the Grain Innovation Hub is to leverage $33 million in government and industry funding to re-establish Manitoba as a leader in grain research, production and processing. The federal and provincial governments are investing $176 million in Manitoba under Growing Forward 2, a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial policy framework to advance the agriculture industry, helping producers and processors become more innovative and competitive in world markets. For more information, visit www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture under Growing Forward 2.
For more information on Manitoba’s agricultural programs and services, follow the Twitter account at www.twitter.com/MBGovAg.
The ministers noted 2016 is the International Year of Pulses, a global collaboration sponsored by the United Nations to heighten awareness of the nutritional benefits and sustainability of pulses, encourage the use of pulse-based proteins, increase global production and address challenges in the trade of pulses.
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