The new range has six variants based on toor dal, black gram, green gram and Bengal gram. It also includes a multi-pulse variant and a higher-protein formulation. The products were developed in association with the Karnataka State Department of Agriculture under the Kalaburagi Pulses initiative, the government said in a release..
The Kalyana Karnataka Bio-Economy Mission is working on a region-specific bio-economy roadmap. It focuses on the region’s strengths in tur, red banana and sugarcane.
The initiative seeks to address a key challenge in pulse-growing regions such as Kalaburagi. Much of the produce currently leaves the district as raw grain. Higher-value processing and margins are captured elsewhere, the statement said.
BBC is exploring how locally grown pulses can be converted into shelf-stable plant-based protein products. The aim is to create a higher-value food chain within the region.
“Karnataka has strong agricultural production, but the next opportunity is to create more value from what we grow. Innovation is not just about developing new products. It is about understanding what we produce and recognising emerging market and consumer demand,” IT/BT and e-governance minister Priyank Kharge said.
“We need to find new ways to present our agricultural products so that they can reach more consumers and increase consumption. This initiative is an example of how Bengaluru’s innovation ecosystem can work with Kalyana Karnataka to turn locally grown pulses into higher-value products,” he said.The four single-pulse bars use pulse crisps as their principal pulse component. They are combined with roasted peanuts, jaggery, oats and pumpkin seeds. The formulations do not contain synthetic colours, flavours or chemical preservatives.
Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre managing director Mohamad Adil AA said the initiative was aimed at looking beyond pulses as a raw commodity.
The nutritional claims are subject to final accredited laboratory validation and FSSAI declaration.
The larger objective is to enable farmer producer organisations, self-help groups and MSMEs in Kalyana Karnataka to participate in processing and value addition. This could help retain more value within the region and build a stronger packaged-food identity around Kalaburagi’s pulses.
The centre plans to subsequently transfer the technology to interested Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and entrepreneurs in the region.