'PULSE FICTION': Development of Slightly Processed Pulse-Based Foods and Recipes to Meet the Needs of Consumers and the Agricultural Sector and Improve Food Sustainability.

Pulses offer significant nutritional and environmental benefits and are useful components of healthier, more sustainable diets and global food security. However, their consumption in France remains low and below the world average. Farmers face economic and technical challenges in diversifying crops, and current domestic production is insufficient to meet this low demand, resulting in continued reliance on imports. Production and consumption are closely linked: low consumer demands limit incentives for farmers to expand cultivation, while limited availability can also constrain uptake. One of the major barriers to consumption relates to preparation and processing. While consumers generally view raw or minimally processed pulses positively, they often avoid using them because they perceive them as time-consuming to prepare or associate them with undesirable sensory attributes (e.g., bitterness and astringency). It also might be difficult for consumers to categorize pulses according to their level of processing. Although pulse processing makes them more convenient for users, former studies suggest that consumers are suspicious about the processing of pulses, and that they may even confuse processing with ultra-processing. This suspicion could sometimes lead to rejection by consumers. The process should thus remain moderate. Encouraging the use of minimally processed pulses, which balance convenience and acceptance, is crucial for wider adoption. The aim of the PULSE FICTION project is to develop minimally processed pulse products with pulses as the main ingredient that align with consumer preferences, farmer constraints and sustainability goals. A key innovation will be the selection of intermediate food products (IFPs) on the basis of consumer and farmer input and chef-developed easy-to-make recipes. These products will be evaluated for their nutritional and sensory qualities, satiety, consumer acceptance and environmental impact. Beyond product development, PULSE FICTION explores the cognitive and sensory factors influencing consumer acceptability and designs effective communication strategies for all stakeholders to facilitate consumer adoption of pulse-based foods.