Where next for beans, peas, chickpeas & lentils? Join the FoodNavigator-USA Pulse Innovation Forum

03-Oct-2016 - Last updated on 04-Oct-2016 at 17:30 GMT

Pulses (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. But where will they go next, and who is driving innovation, both from a formulation, and branding perspective?

To find out, we’ve gathered together a panel of pulse enthusiasts to talk about sourcing, formulation, marketing, and innovation.

Event: The FoodNavigator-USA Pulse Innovation Forum 

Date: Wednesday November 2

Time: 11.30am EST

Duration: 60 minutes

In the first 45 minutes of our free-to-attend, online 60-minute Pulse Innovation Forum (moderated by FoodNavigator-USA editor Elaine Watson), we’ll talk about:

What are pulses, how are they being used, and what’s driving growth in this market?

How do pulses measure up in the nutrition and sustainability stakes, and what other factors are driving their appeal (non-allergenic, non-GMO)? What application areas are pulses and pulse ingredients being used in? Which are growing the most strongly?

How do you talk to consumers about pulses?

Do consumers get the word ‘pulses’? How should we talk about them? What are entrepreneurial brands doing with pulses and how are they talking to consumers about them (are consumers interested in pulses per se (are lentils trendy?) or are brands more interested in what they can deliver, eg. plant-based protein, improved nutrition, taste, texture, meat replacement?

How easy are pulses to work with?

To what extent have flavor and other technical challenges held the market back?

Where next for pulses?

Where is this market going? How big could bean-based snacking become? Could pulse-based pastas capture a sizeable share of the market? Could pea-based ‘milk’ such as Ripple be as big as almond milk? What new pulse ingredients and brands are hitting the market?

The remaining 15 minutes will be devoted to Q&A where you can put your questions to our expert panel:

Aaron Gatti, founder, BRAMI (lupini bean snacks)
Derrick Quandt, director of operations, Banza (chickpea pasta, spaghetti, mac & cheese)
Mike LaRocca, director of supply chain and R&D, Beanitos (bean snacks)
Travis Berger, VP Supply Chain, Eat Well Embrace Life ('other bean' hummus)
Tanya Der, manager of food innovation and marketing, Pulse Canada