Pulse dehulling is the mechanical removal of the outer seed coat from lentils, peas, chickpeas or beans using abrasive or friction machines, improving digestibility, appearance and cooking quality while generating hulls as a fibre-rich by-product.
In trade practice
Dehulling efficiency depends on seed moisture content, which is often conditioned before the run to loosen the hull without fracturing the cotyledon. Abrasive dehullers are common for lentils and peas, while friction-based machines are preferred for chickpeas. QA teams measure dehulling efficiency as the percentage of seeds from which the hull has been fully removed, and check for excessive breakage, which reduces yield and affects the split fraction. Removed hulls are typically sold separately for animal feed or food fibre applications and should be covered by their own documentation.
In a specification
A specification for dehulled pulses should state the minimum dehulling efficiency as a percentage, the maximum permitted broken or chipped seed content, and whether the product is intended for further splitting or for whole dehulled sale.