Understanding the segmentation of the pulse flours market is key for companies and brands to target opportunities. According to MRFR, the market is broken down on multiple axes.
By Source/Form
Forms: bean flours, lentil flours, chickpea flours, pea flours. The report notes Chickpea segment held majority share in 2022 for pulse flours.
Each source offers different nutritional profiles and functional properties—chickpea flour is high in protein/fibre, pea flour is seen as rising in plant-based meat substitute applications.
By Application
Applications include: bakery products, savoury products, meat products, beverages. According to MRFR, the bakery products segment dominated in 2022.
This makes sense: bakery is a high-volume category and demands functional flours. Additionally, savoury snacks and meat substitutes are emerging application areas.
By Distribution Channel
Channels: store-based (supermarkets, hypermarkets), non-store (online, direct to consumer). The store-based segment held majority share.
However, online/non-store is gaining, especially for niche health-ingredient products (pulse flour blends, vegan formulations).
Market & Regional Snapshot
Regionally, Asia-Pacific accounted for approximately USD 4.0762 billion in 2022 (~45.8% share) in the pulse flour market.
Given high share and rising demand in APAC, companies should consider localisation and regional market strategies.
Strategic Implications
Source selection matters: If targeting gluten-free bakery or vegan meat alternatives, focus on pea or lentil flours. If mainstream bakery, chickpea flour may be effective.
Application strategy: Brands can decide to focus on high-volume segments (bakery) or higher-margin emerging segments (meat substitutes).
Channel focus: For broad consumer reach, mass-market store-based channels are key. For premium/health-niche products, online D2C models enable better margin and consumer targeting.
Conclusion
Segmentation reveals where growth and profit potential lie within the pulse flour market. Source, application and channel all matter deeply—and companies who align their strategy accordingly will likely outperform.
