Effect of processing, cultivar, and crop year on volatile composition in pulses and pulse flours analyzed by headspace-solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Authors: PONSKHE, KAVERI - Michigan State University; DUBOIS, AUBREY - Michigan State University; BEAUDRY, RANDOLPH - Michigan State University; HOOPER, SHARON - Michigan State University; Cichy, Karen; MAYHEW, EMILY - Michigan State University

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/23/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Milling pulses into flour enables their use in diverse cereal-based products, improving nutritional quality and promoting environmental sustainability. However, off-flavors limit their wider acceptance. This study examined how cultivar, harvest year, and processing methods influenced the volatile composition of pulses. Cultivar differences were primarily driven by seed coat color, which played a key role in shaping volatile profiles. Processing methods also impacted volatile compounds, with major differences observed between non-roasted and roasted samples. Cooking roasted flour was more effective in reducing key volatiles compared to direct cooking of non-roasted flours. The volatiles reduced via roasting have been cited as beany flavor markers, therefore roasting may serve as an effective pre-treatment strategy to reduce these flavors in cooked pulse-based products. Understanding these differences can aid in selecting pulses for targeted food applications.

Technical Abstract: Low pulse consumption in the U.S. is linked to barriers such as lengthy cooking times, limited preparation knowledge, and undesirable taste or texture. Incorporating pulse flours into convenience products is a promising approach to increase consumption; however, volatile organic compounds responsible for off-flavors hinder their widespread adoption in food products. This study aimed to investigate and quantify the variation in the volatile composition of eight pulse cultivars due to the effects of cultivar, harvest year, and processing (roasting and boiling) using targeted headspace-solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Pulse samples were produced by boiling whole or milling into flour, with a subset roasted before milling. The resulting flours were also cooked into model products (porridge: roasted and non-roasted) to assess volatile changes due to roasting and subsequent cooking. Results showed significant differences in total estimated volatile concentration across processing treatments, and harvest years. Boiling resulted in the lowest total volatile concentration (1.09e-08 mol/L), whereas non-roasted product exhibited the highest concentration (3.51E-07 mol/L), followed by roasted product (1.06E-07 mol/L), milled roasted flour (1.03E-07 mol/L) and milled non-roasted flour (5.33E-08 mol/L). Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis revealed separation of samples by harvest year and distinct volatile profiles across cultivars, suggesting that environmental conditions could influence volatile composition over time. These findings highlight the influence of cultivar selection, harvest year, and trade-offs due to processing on pulse volatile profiles, providing insights that can mitigate off-flavor formation and support the development of more widely accepted pulse-based products.