The effects of grinding and pelleting on nutrient composition of Canadian pulses

Understanding the effects of processing pulses is required for their effective incorporation into livestock feed. To determine the impact of processing, Canadian peas, lentils, chickpeas, and faba beans, plus soybean meal (SBM; as a comparison), were ground into fine and coarse products and pelleted at three different temperatures (60–65, 70–75, and 80–85 °C). Grinding increased crude protein content in all the pulses ( P < 0.05), but did not affect most amino acids (AA) ( P > 0.05). Pelleting increased crude protein content in Amarillo peas, Dun peas, and lentils ( P < 0.05), but decreased in SBM ( P < 0.05). Pelleting increased cysteine, lysine (Lys), and methionine, and decreased histidine and tyrosine (Tyr) in most pulses ( P < 0.05). Comparatively, pelleting significantly increased Lys and decreased Tyr content in SBM ( P < 0.05). These results suggest that processing can positively affect protein and AA content of pulses. However, specific effects on nutritional composition differed across ingredient type.