This project will allow the Canadian pulse industry to address North American market demand for foods with value-added health benefits through investigation of health claim opportunities for pulses/pulse products and blood sugar control. Adding a health claim to food labels and packaging for pulse based foods would increase awareness of pulses and enable manufacturers to communicate the health benefits of pulses directly to consumers at the point of purchase. The project will build on the previous health claim investigation focused solely on lentils and their post-prandial glycemic response. A critical review of evidence for other pulse types (beans, peas, chickpeas) prior to establishing claim wording specific to the lentil and post-prandial glycaemia research will ensure claim language is relevant to the totality of evidence for all types of pulses.
Overall, evidence demonstrated an effect of whole pulses on post-prandial glycaemic response when pulses replaced available carbohydrate in comparable and standardized foods, as well as ingredients; including glucose, white bread and pasta. After discussion with Health Canada, the following claim reflects the current body of evidence for the attenuation of glycaemic response with pulses:
“One cup (250 ml) of cooked (type of whole pulse) in place of [instead of] low fibre starchy foods results in a reduced blood sugar [glucose] rise after a meal.”