The Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) is holding a workshop to highlight pulse ingredients for food processors.

The three-day event in late April will showcase the use of pulse flour in pastas and baked products, as well as reinforce the health benefits of pulse ingredients.

Cigi's project manager for pulses and specialty crops, Peter Frolich, says they're trying to spread awareness of using pulses, for example, as a gluten-free flour option, rather than flour made from ingredients like rice or potatoes.

"The main downside to using those (rice, potato) flours is that they're not very high in nutrition," Frolich says, "so pulses are an excellent substitute for those flours or an additive to those flours in gluten-free products because pulses are high in protein and high in fibre and other nutritional benefits."

Part of the workshop demonstrations will include analyzing pulse flours with participants to examine functional properties. Frolich outlines some of the other demonstrations.

"We'll be talking about different classifications of pulse flours and separating the starch from the protein using dryer fractionation," he says. "We also have milling demonstrations, so we have a pilot-scale roller mill here at Cigi and we also have a number of test mills, and we'll be talking about those and how to use those to mill pulses."

The pulse workshop is happening as part of the International Year of the Pulse and takes place in Winnipeg from April 26 through 28.