Pulse splitting is the mechanical separation of the two cotyledons of a dehulled pulse seed to produce split lentils, split peas or dal-type products, which cook faster and hydrate more readily than their whole counterparts.
In trade practice
Splitting is performed on roller or disc mills after dehulling; the gap between rollers is adjusted for each pulse type to maximise the proportion of clean splits while minimising powder and broken fragments. QA teams measure the split percentage and the proportion of unsplit wholes, which are typically recycled through the mill. Buyers specify the maximum permitted content of unsplit seeds, broken fragments and powder, as these affect cooking uniformity and pack weight. Export documentation should confirm the product format, since split and whole dehulled pulses attract different tariff classifications in some markets.
In a specification
A contract specification should define the minimum split percentage, the maximum content of unsplit wholes and broken fragments, and the sieve method used to determine fragment size distribution.