Humans have relied on snack crackers since historic times when people were on the move for one reason or another. This travelling food has low moisture content and essentially no leavening which makes it handy for nourishment and requires little processing time. Crackers are usually made from grain products, but the market is wide open for the potential of introducing pulse based cracker products because of their high nutritional content and their gluten-free quality. This study evaluates the potential of pulse food fractions and flours to be used on a wide scale in manufacturing gluten-free friendly snack products.

After various pulse cracker products were developed, they were tested by consumers and generally found to be acceptable in shape and texture. There was, however, a tendency for the crackers to be too salty. Other spices or a different formulation could be used to cut down on sodium content, as this is an issue in the chickpea product in order to compensate for its strong flavor. The nutritional profile was also developed for a prototype food label, and found that these crackers have a higher iron content than grain based products. All in all, the potential market for pulse crackers and other snack products is excellent, and with the nutritional benefits provided by pulses, we can snack in good conscience.

Han J, Janz JAM, Gerlat M. Development of gluten-free cracker snacks using pulse flours and fractions. Food Res Int 2010;43:627-633.

Summarized by the NDSU Extension Service.