Pulses Fractions Face Key Moment

PANAMA - Aug 21/19 - SNS -- Domestic markets for peas in Europe and North America are undergoing rapid change as the global fractionation industry expands capacity at existing plants, converts soybean plants over to peas, and builds new, state of the art facilities.

Some market participants believe this is the moment when products made using protein, starch and fiber from peas, lentils, and other dry pulses are making major break through in usage as food manufacturers become more confident in their ability to reliably source those fractions.

There is no benchmark data for the current size of the fractionation industry in Canada or the United States. Significant capacity will be added next year in Canada. Other plants and expansions have been announced, but it is not known how far they have moved beyond the public relations stage.

The fractionation industry has a long history in North America. The first plant in Saskatchewan was founded by Fraser Rempel of Newfield Seeds. Called Pro Star Mills, it started production in 1978 and was part of Rempel's vision of a massive expansion in field pea area and fractionation in Canada.

Ed Dumas of the Moscow, Idaho based Dumas Seed Co. founded Dupro in the early 1970s to manufacture pea flour. Dumas had his eye on markets in the upper U.S. midwest and eastern states, shipping flour from the plant in the Pacific Northwest to a warehouse in Michigan.