NCI Hosts Production Opportunities with Pulse & Dry Bean Ingredients | August 31 - September 3, 2026

Participants in NCI’s Soy Foods Lab during the beverage demonstration

The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) hosted a Production Opportunities with Pulse & Dry Bean Ingredients from August 31 to September 3, 2026. This course brought together 20 participants from the United States, Uruguay, Thailand, India, Turkiye, Guatemala, Peru, Panama, Colombia, and Morocco. The four-day program explored the growing opportunities for pulses and dry beans in food product development.

Exploring Opportunities for Pulses and Dry Beans

Participant in NCI’s Pasta Processing Lab during the pasta demonstrations

The course began with a presentation on pulse & dry bean opportunities from Chelsea Didinger of A Legume a Day. The session introduced participants to opportunities for utilizing pulses and dry beans in today's food industry. Ewa Pietrysiak of USA Pulses, followed discussing pulse & dry bean nutrition, providing insight into the nutritional benefits and value of pulse and dry bean ingredients. Participants then learned all about lupins from Mike Ostlie of North Dakota State University, and Shahidul Islam, Assistant Professor of Spring Wheat Quality at NDSU.

The afternoon shifted to processing pulse crops with an extrusion presentation led by Topher Dohl of Wenger Manufacturing Inc. Participants then moved into NCI's Twin Screw Extrusion Lab for a hands-on extrusion demonstrations lead by NCI Process Project Managers, Rilie Morgan and Chris Cossette. Navy bean, black bean, pinto bean, kidney bean, and a mix of kidney, pinto, and deflavored faba bean flours were all used to demonstration the differences and uses of each bean.

From Ingredients to New Product Ideas

Participants during the pasta cooking quality tests

On day two, Dr. Fatemeh Zare of the University of Vermont began the morning with her presentation on pulse & dry bean product development. Clifford Hall of South Dakota State University continued the discussion on a variety of ingredients and their forms, helping participants better understand the different ingredient options available and how their characteristics can influence product development. Participants also spent the week in small groups, working together to create their own product and spent some time discussing their ideas. Neil Doty of Doty Consulting guided participants through the product launch journey, explaining the product development process and the steps required to bring a new product to market.

The afternoon explored another growing application for these ingredients with pulse & dry bean beverage markets, presented by John Manuel of PURIS. Participants then moved into hands-on demonstration in the Soy Foods lab with NCI Food Technologist Edil Vidal Torres, seeing how pulse and dry bean ingredients can be incorporated into beverage and food products. Participants sampled chocolate yellow pea milk and red bean ice cream.

Understanding Processing and Ingredient Functionality

NCI’s Rilie and Chris began the third day in NCI’s Pasta Processing lab, showing the differences in the final pasta products between semolina flour, semolina and whole pinto bean flour, and semolina and yellow pea flour before Chris presented on milling & functionality. Participants discussed the differences between traditional vs gluten free pasta with Rilie, Chris, and NCI Food Scientist Rachel Carlson. The mill demonstrations followed, showcasing several different milling methods, including stone milling, roller milling, and hammer milling.

The afternoon continued with gluten free pasta demonstrations, giving participants another opportunity to see how ingredient selection and processing can influence finished products. They compared pastas made with rice, corn, chickpea, and pea protein to pasta made with yellow lentils. Rachel Carlson concluded the day's activities with hands-on pasta cooking tests, allowing participants to evaluate the characteristics and performance of different types of pastas.

Putting Product Development into Practice

Participants and NCI staff during the pulses & dry beans in baking demonstration

The final day brought together the concepts explored throughout the course. Rachel Carlson led a pulses & dry beans in baking, demonstrating additional opportunities for incorporating these ingredients into bakery products. Participants sampled blueberry muffins made with yellow pea flour, black bean brownies, pizza crust made with yellow pea flour crust, chocolate pinto bean pecan pie with chickpea crust, and more! Participants then returned to their product development groups applying what they had learned throughout the week to develop their own food product to taste.

Following the course banquet and graduation, participants shared their final products with the rest of the group, explaining what they used, nutritional facts, and how they created the product. The afternoon also included work with sensory evaluations, giving participants the opportunity to taste products and explore how sensory characteristics influence product development and consumer acceptance.

Expanding Opportunities for Pulse and Dry Bean Ingredients

Production Opportunities with Pulse & Dry Bean Ingredients provided participants with a hands-on look at the many possibilities these ingredients offer across the food industry. By combining presentations on nutrition, markets, ingredient functionality, and product development with practical demonstrations in extrusion, beverages, pasta, milling, and baking, participants gained experience connecting ingredient characteristics with real-world food applications.

NCI thanks Northarvest Bean Growers Association, Northern Pulse Growers, AGT Foods, USA Pulses, presenters, and participants for making this program a success.