Canned legumes are pulses that have been cooked, packed in brine or water and commercially sterilised in sealed metal cans or glass jars, making them a shelf-stable, ready-to-eat format traded on drained weight and texture standards.
In trade practice
Buyers specify drained weight as a percentage of net weight, brine salt concentration and an upper limit for broken or split beans, since these directly affect yield and end-product appearance. Sterilisation is validated by the processor against a scheduled process approved for the target pH and water activity; EU food safety rules require that commercially sterile products meet the standards set out in Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and associated guidance. Intake checks typically include drained weight, visual grading and organoleptic assessment. Mislabelled fill weights and excessive broken beans are the most common non-conformances at goods-in.
In a specification
Contracts should state minimum drained weight as a percentage of declared net weight, maximum broken bean allowance and brine salt content as a declared range, with reference to the approved sterilisation schedule.