Why choose USA Legumes?

USA legumes are the world's standard for quality. Perfect climate and soil conditions combined with many generations of harvesting and processing expertise, produce the highest quality and most functional legumes found anywhere.

Legumes (dry peas, lentils and chickpeas) have many qualities that make them attractive to food manufacturers.

 

Composition

• High protein, dietary fiber, starch, amylose, and amylopectin
• low fat; low cholesterol

 

Nutrition

• high protein (20 to 30% on dry weight basis)
• low calorie
• good complement of B-vitamins and some vitamin A
• good complement of minerals, especially calcium and iron
• high lysine

 

Functional properties

• varieties of colors—green, yellow, red, orange
• minimal non-enzymatic browning and oil absorption during frying
• neutral flavor; excellent flavor carrier
• crisp, crunchy texture potential
• protein functionality provides:
• good water holding capacity (WHC), good solubility, good emulsifying properties, good lipid affinity and foam stability, promising expansion/extrusion potential

 

 

 

Applications

Applications for dry legume products include:

 

Dry green and yellow peas

• fried, toasted, baked, and extruded snacks foods
• whole peas for snacks, dry soup mixes, salad topping mix
• green or yellow pea flour for soups, instant dry soup mixes, thickening agent, dips, broth

 

Lentils

• fried, toasted, baked, and extruded snack foods
• crushed lentils for instant dry soup mixes, lentil & rice/ couscous/pasta entrees, Middle Eastern/ Indian specialty cuisines

 

Chickpeas

• fried, toasted, baked and extruded snack foods
• chickpea flour for instant dry soup mixes, thickening agent, dips, broth, Middle Eastern specialty cuisines; hummus, falafel