Decorticated product

Peas and beans can be decorticated or “skinned”

Decorted peas and beans have two main uses; decorted peas are used in the canning trade for mushy pea production and decorted beans are used in the salmon and fish feed industry.

The beans provide a high protein and starch source with low fibre (as the fibre is in the skin). The skinned bean works as a binding agent, holding the fish food pellet together when the product is submerged.

ADM Agriculture are committed to adding further value to finished goods; this can be achieved by decorticating (skinning) and splitting dried pulses.

ADM Agriculture have sophisticated skinning machines called “decorticators” installed in the production line, these are a series of abrasive stones that physically rub the skins off the pulse. The skins are aspirated away from the skinned/decorticated product and are conveyed into a bulk trailer for animal feed.

After skinning, the peas can either be split or polished (or both) depending on the customer’s requirement.

Splitting pulses is achieved by pushing the product through oscillating knives, this causes the products to split down the cotyledon (central scar) and split into two even halves.

Polishing of the product with inert talcum powder helps gives the product a much more aesthetically pleasing appearance; it also reduces the levels of dust and flour within the product to a satisfactory level, as dust can cause issues with heat sealed packaging.