Further information

A balanced diet that provides the organism with the right nutritional substances improves its defence system to fight against disease. Stress, our frenetic pace of life, and the pollution in our towns and cities can all have a negative effect on our immune system. For this reason it is vital to pay proper attention to the food we eat and choose products that are nutritious and genuine.

The General Meeting of the United Nations declared 2016 as the International Year of pulses, in order to promote the consumption of pulses and raise awareness in the public of their nutritional value in relation to sustainable food production.

This awareness campaign has continued over time, and in 2019 the World Pulse Day was announced for 10 February. It is not about hope, therefore, but a tangible resource and a project to re-establish the possibility for a larger number of people to have access to a healthy diet, and to correct the damage to our planet caused by intense cattle breeding.

Pulses represent a source of energy that is rich in vegetable proteins, amino acids and other essential nutrients. At the same time, pulses are an excellent source of fibre, unlike other protein-rich foods of animal origin (meat, fish, eggs, milk and cheese), which contain none at all. The correlation between meat consumption and health problems is no novelty: this was already declared in 2015 by the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) on behalf of the World Health Organisation. It was then corroborated in 2017 by another authoritative body, the scientific publication British Medical Journal. While the research published by the WHO declared that red meats are potentially carcinogenic, the study by the BMJ underlines that the correlation between the consumption of these foods and the average rise in mortality can reach as high as 26%. This most recent study does not mince words and declares that “Over consumption of red meat is bad for our health and for the health of our planet”.

Synergy is the key to good health. The nutritional value of each single foodstuff can be increased when combined with the right ingredients. The high biological value of protein is complemented and boosted by the essential amino acids present in cereals. For this reason, we have perfected our special formula with whole grain Carnaroli rice flour.

Carnaroli rice, often referred to as “the king of rices” remains firm to the bite better than other rice varieties. By adding it to pulse flours, it is possible to achieve a pasta that is always ‘al dente’ Furthermore, the presence of rice flour slightly mitigates the characteristic flavour of pulses, making this product extremely suited to adult tastes and also appreciated by children. All this means that even people who are already used to such flavours, such as the older generations, still appreciate the taste.

Pulses are still rarely used and appreciated because they take a long time to prepare and cook. In a society in which people cook less and less, the long time required to soak and cook pulses puts most people off, and most people do not consume pulses in the minimum quantities recommended for a proper, healthy diet.

Canned pulses are not the solution. As they are pre-cooked, they do not preserve the majority of the positive properties of pulses and their nutritional value is partly eroded during the preparation and pasteurisation processes, without considering the additives they contain.

The pulse pasta of Pastificio Fiorentino combines the benefits of pulses with the speed of preparing a plate of pasta: it cooks in just a few minutes and can be prepared in a jiffy for quick lunch or a quick evening meal. Pulses ready in minutes… as quick as a plate of pasta!

As all mums know, it isn’t easy to serve food that everyone in the family will love. Food intolerances and children require a little more imagination to keep everyone happy and serve a meal that is nutritious and tasty. The pulse pasta of Pastificio Fiorentino is a valid alternative to the ‘same old’ pasta, because it preserves all the nutritional properties of pulses and has a milder taste thanks to the addition of whole grain Carnaroli rice flour. A totally interesting food, not only for vegans and people with gluten intolerance, but also to satisfy the taste buds and curiosity for new foods of children.

Every aspect of the production of our pulse pasta bears the environment in mind, even when the pasta has already been eaten! The Sbucciapack system allows every part of the special packaging to be recycled, as it consists of two layers that can be easily separated. The internal layer meets the legal requirements for contact with foodstuffs and can be disposed of with the plastic waste, while the outer layer is made in PEFC certified paper, in other words obtained from sustainably managed forests. The use of paper also allows us to considerably reduce the amount of plastic used compared to other types of packaging. The graphics are printed using water-based inks and adhesives. For us, ethics is not just a matter of appearance: the paper used for the secondary packaging is also certified and uses only water-based inks.

The risks attached to a high consumption of meat and the environmental impact of intense cattle breeding are a valid - or rather an urgent reason - for looking for an alternative that ensures a substantial supply of protein. Indeed, pulses boast a reduced environmental impact and the capacity to enrich depleted soils, when they are cultivated with other crops following a crop rotation system, in line with the philosophy of the BIO Floriddia C. farm.

The pasta is produced using the bronze extrusion and slow drying processes: two “musts” for high-quality pasta. The bronze extrusion process means that the pasta is not subject to any stress and reaches the drying stage intact. It also makes the pasta more porous, so that any sauce served with the pasta is ‘trapped’ and absorbed. A slow drying process at low temperatures prevents the proteins from being destroyed and fully preserves their bioavailability.

The pasta is produced using the bronze extrusion process and slow drying: processes aimed at ensuring that the pasta reaches the drying stage intact and preserving its proteins and their bioavailability. What really distinguishes the pulse pasta by Pastificio Fiorentino from standard pasta production, however, is the fact that the pulses are steamed. This process makes it possible to eliminate any anti-nutritional factors in the pulses and makes them more digestible, just like our grandmothers did, who were well aware of the importance of soaking the pulses for several hours before cooking.