Removing Barriers to Pulse Ingredient Growth

Through the Science & Technical Industry Program (STIP), we bring global food companies and pulse processors together to define and address shared priorities that affect the competitiveness of Canadian pulses.

The program is focused on sector-wide bottlenecks that can impede ingredient utilization and long-term demand growth. By creating a structured forum for collaboration, STIP enables companies to work collectively on applied projects that address common challenges and generate practical, actionable insight.

Industry participation reflects both strategic engagement and financial commitment. Companies help define project priorities and contribute directly to advancing the work, ensuring that the focus remains grounded in real market experience. In select cases, Pulse Canada will seek leveraged funding or directly contribute to support these efforts.

The insights generated through STIP also inform broader research direction, helping guide grower-supported investments and maintain alignment between market needs and sector-wide innovation.

Our latest STIP 2025–26 Committee Reports outline how STIP is advancing this work and strengthening the foundation for long-term demand stability. Below is an overview of where those efforts are focused.

Flavour and sensory performance remain a priority

Industry continues to signal that flavour and sensory performance are key challenges. The Improving Sensory Properties Committee has identified shared priorities focused on strengthening root-cause understanding of off-flavours, improving the reliability and scalability of sensory tools.

During the reporting period, the committee advanced work in several areas. This included delivery of an industry workshop on pulse flavour solutions, progression of a literature review examining sensory impacts of pulse inclusion across food categories and successfully received leveraged funding to evaluate how storage conditions influence off-flavour development.

New initiatives in 2025–26 include research exploring how front-of-pack protein and fibre claims influence consumer perception and recall, as well as data integration into an AI-enabled flavouromics platform designed to better link chemical composition with sensory performance.

Together, these efforts aim to reduce uncertainty around flavour performance and strengthen sector-wide understanding of the factors influencing consumer acceptance of pulse-containing foods.

Explore the full Sensory Committee report.

Expanding value beyond protein

Another priority is strengthening the full value of pulse processing streams. Fibre- and starch-rich fractions represent additional opportunities for innovation and improved processing economics.

The By-Product Utilization Committee has advanced work evaluating fibre- and starch-rich ingredients in high-potential food applications, including high-protein products and extrusion-based snack formats. These projects evaluate processing and formulation approaches to better understand how performance and value can be optimized across fibre- and starch-rich fractions.

By translating research into real-world application insight, this work strengthens the commercial case for pulse ingredient expansion and supports improved utilization across the crop.

Explore the full By-Product Utilization Committee report.

Strengthening methods and standards

As pulse ingredients become more widely used in food manufacturing, consistent measurement and clearer guidance are increasingly important.

The Industry Methods and Standards Committee is focused on improving how key attributes — including fibre, particle size, and sensory characteristics — are defined and measured. Recent work has advanced standardized sensory descriptors, contributed to updated fibre method guidance, and progressed clearer approaches to particle size determination.

These efforts improve consistency and comparability across the sector, reducing uncertainty for manufacturers, and strengthening confidence in pulse ingredient performance and labelling.

Explore the full Methods and Standards Committee report.

What this means for growers

STIP helps ensure pulse research stays aligned with the priorities that complement proprietary research & development efforts of companies.

By bringing global food companies and processors to the table, STIP secures direct industry participation and financial contribution toward resolving shared sector challenges. Companies help define the focus areas, ensuring that projects reflect real operational experience and market conditions.

Addressing these bottlenecks strengthens the competitiveness of Canadian pulses and supports more stable long-term demand. Just as importantly, the insights generated through STIP help inform broader research direction and guide grower-supported investments across the sector.

Through STIP, we are collaborating with industry to focus effort where it has the greatest impact for Canadian pulse competitiveness.

Looking ahead

Several STIP projects are advancing into active research and reporting phases in early 2026. We will continue working through STIP committees to ensure priorities remain aligned with evolving market and processing priorities.

By focusing on practical barriers to adoption, STIP strengthens the foundation for long-term demand growth and expanded opportunity for Canadian pulses.