Conventional binders like wheat crumb, soy protein and milk protein work well, but many consumers are allergic to them. Can pulse-based ingredients answer the call?

Many consumers enjoy a hot dog, bologna sandwich, burger or breakfast sausages from time to time. For many others, these products are off-limits because they’re allergic to the ingredients that are used as binders in these food products.

“This is done functionally to minimize the cost,” explained Zeb Pietrasik, Meat Scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Food Processing Development Centre. “By binding additional water in there, they can increase their yield. But the ingredients they use – wheat crumb and soy and milk protein – can be allergenic too.”

If you took all the meat products in your local supermarket that contain these binders, it’s clear this is a massive market. Pulse-based ingredients might be able to create a win-win in this food processing category. By replacing allergenic ingredients, more consumers could buy these products. The resulting product would also be healthier for everyone.

In 2016, with principal funding from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) and additional support from Alberta Pulse Growers, Pietrasik kicked off a two-year study. He aims to develop value-added meat products with non-allergen ingredients. Pulse ingredients are among the candidates.

Ingredient screening in ’16, product testing in ’17

Pietrasik began the project with a hypothesis that pulse ingredients ought to suit processors’ needs quite nicely.

“We’re looking at two meat systems,” he said. “The first group is a class of emulsified products such as hot dogs and bologna. The second group contains most burger patties. Pulses are perfect for these products, they are not out of line in terms of functionality.”

In the first year of the project, Pietrasik screened more than 30 different non-allergenic ingredients. These included pulse flours and the protein, starch and fibre fractions of faba bean, yellow pea and red and yellow lentils.

During the program’s second year, Pietrasik will narrow down the list of 30 to a short-list of the most promising non-allergenic ingredient candidates. Products will be developed and sensory-tested to produce final recommendations for meat processors.

“It is going well and the pulse ingredients are performing well,” Pietrasik said. “Pea starch is one of the best in both systems and pea protein has also performed strongly in beef burgers.”

For companies that process meat products, the addition of pulse-based ingredients as binders offers compelling advantages. People who are allergic to wheat, soy and milk-based ingredients will become potential customers overnight. Pulses’ nutritional advantages will boost the value of the final products.

The decision, of course, rests with the food manufacturers themselves. Once Pietrasik’s project is complete, he expects the case for pulses will be strong.

“Some ingredients might perform well in this type of processing,” he said. “They have good texture and high yield. A lot depends on the economics, but if they provide the same functionality, I don’t see any barriers for these to be used by processors.”

Project at a glance

Project title:                Developing value-added meat products with non-allergen ingredients

Project lead:                Zeb Pietrasik, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

Total value of project: $183,250

Start date:                   February 1, 2016

Completion date:        March 31, 2018