Pulse Starches

Pulse Canada icon pulse texture

Producing Pulse Starch

  • Starch represents the major component of peas, lentils, beans and chickpeas, ranging from 40-50% of the dry seed weight. Starches can either be isolated from pulses using wet processing techniques, or concentrated during air classification to produce a coarse, starch-rich product. Wet methods to isolate starch are able to achieve much higher levels of purity (>85%) compared to air-classified products which will typically range from 65-85% and contain anywhere from 8-20% of the remaining seed constituents such as protein and fibres. 

  • Pea Starch With Spoon
  • Starch Granules
    • Processing & Ingredients

    Pulse Starch Technical Overview

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Pulse Starch Composition

Starches naturally occur as granules that are composed of chains of glucose units linked together to form the two building blocks of starch: amylose and amylopectin. The ratio of amylose:amylopectin plays an important role in starch functionality. 

Compared to many other naturally occurring starches, pea, lentil and bean starches contain very high levels of amylose (29 – 50%) and contain low concentrations (<1%) of minor components such as lipids or proteins (Hoover et al., 2010).

Starch content and composition of pulses1
PulseStarch (%db)Amylose (%starch)
Pea45.7 - 51.231 – 49
Lentil44.5 - 50.129 – 29
Faba Bean40.8 - 47.231 – 40
Corn70.0 - 75.0226 - 31
Tapioca84.5316 - 31


1. Adapted from Ren et al. 2021. 2. Prasanthi et al. 2017. 3. Sanchez et al. 2010.

Functionality and Applications

Pulse starches are clean-label, functional ingredients. The higher amylose content of pulse starches allows them to form highly-stable gel networks. Pulse starches display reduced gelatinization temperatures and granular swelling which results in a lower peak viscosity under typical pasting conditions. Upon cooling, the reassociation of amylose in pulse starch allows for the formation of a strong gel. Pulses starches also exhibit greater resistance to enzymatic activity, high-temperature processing and slow digesting, contributing to a low glycemic index.


Food & Beverage

Pea starch can be used as a thickener, gelling agent, stabilizer, fat substitute, expansion agent, anti-caking agent and can provide crispiness and a smooth mouthfeel.

    • Sweeteners
    • Edible Films
    • Sauces, Soups, Dressings and Condiments
    • Snacks and Breakfast Cereals
    • Baked Goods
    • Processed Meats
    • Seafood and Meat Substitutes
    • Confectionary
    • Noodles and Pasta
    • Chilled and Shelf-Stable Dairy and Dairy Alternatives

Industrial Applications

    • Oil & Ore Refining
    • Medical Wound Dressings
    • Bioplastics
    • Pharmaceuticals
    • Paper, Pulp & Packaging
  • Pea Starch in Paper Making
    • Applications
    • Processing & Ingredients

    Pea Starch in Paper Applications

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Modifying Starches to Improve Functionality

Modifications can be applied to pulse starch to improve functionality for different end use applications, including:
    • Enzymatic modification
    • Chemical modifications:
      • Acid thinning
      • Oxidation
      • Cross linking
      • Substitution
    • Physical modifications:
      • High hydrostatic pressure treatment
      • Hydrothermal treatments
      • Irradiation
      • Ultrasonication
  • Starch Modifications
    • Processing & Ingredients

    Modifying Starches to Improve Functionality

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1. Ren, Y, Yuan, TZ, Chigwedere, CM, Ai, Y. A current review of structure, functional properties, and industrial applications of pulse starches for value-added utilization. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2021; 20: 3061– 3092. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12735

2. Prasanthi PS, Naveena N, Vishnuvardhana Rao M, Bhaskarachary K. Compositional variability of nutrients and phytochemicals in corn after processing. J Food Sci Technol. 2017 Apr;54(5):1080-1090. doi: 10.1007/s13197-017-2547-2. Epub 2017 Feb 18. PMID: 28416857; PMCID: PMC5380630.

3. Sánchez T, Dufour D, Moreno IX, Ceballos H. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2010 58 (8), 5093-5099DOI: 10.1021/jf1001606