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Inclusions: |
- Pulses, i.e. edible seeds of legumes whether harvested ripe and dried, or unripe (for example peas and broad beans)
- Seeds, i.e. the embryos and their food store of angiosperms (flowering plants) and gymnosperms (surface seeds not in an ovary, e.g. conifers)
- Kernels, i.e. inner, softer part of nuts or seeds
- Nuts, i.e. a dry fruit with a hard exterior surrounding one, or occasionally more, seed
- A food product whose predominant constituent is pulses, seeds, kernels or nuts
- A recipe dish whose main ingredient is considered to be pulses, seeds, kernels or nuts
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Exclusions: |
- Fruits, i.e. the part of a plant developed from the ovary and holding the seed. As well as categories assigned to the Fruits and fruit products main group, this exclusion includes fruits where the pod is consumed with the enclosed seeds as for French beans, Mangetout and Runner beans, or directly from the seed head as for Sweet corn. These foods are assigned to the Pod and seed head vegetables subgroup of the Vegetables and vegetable products main group
- Bean sprouts
- Oils produced from pulses, seeds, kernels or nuts
- A food product produced wholly or partially from pulses, seeds, kernels or nuts but used as a substitute for a food assigned to another main group, for example Textured Vegetable Protein as a meat substitute
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Policies: |
- Both mature and immature pulses are classified in this group if the food item consists only of the seed and not the surrounding fruit (pod).
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Revisions: |
- New codes have been assigned. The system is described in Discussion Note N003: Revised hierarchical food codes.
- The category Underground pulses has been added to accommodate the sub-category of Peanut. This is more biologically accurate than classifying Peanuts as nuts and produces a better and clearer place in the classification for peanut products.
- A combined category of Seeds and kernels has been created since the separation of seeds and kernels may be unclear and rather arbitrary.
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Discussion: |
- The main group name includes a type of seed (pulse), whole or part seeds (kernel) and a seed with casing (nut). A better name for the group might be Seeds, including pulses, nuts and kernels, and their products.
- The revised classification proposes a policy of placing product substitutes in the group of the substituted food on the basis of its product type and usage, not in the group of the source organism, for example Soya milk is assigned to the Milk group. See Discussion Note N004: Substitute and analogue food products.
- Some changes and additions have been to the pulses, but further changes may be necessary. For example, at present there is a category for Kidney bean but not a separate one for the distinctive Red kidney bean. Possibly there should be a single category at this level for all Phaseolus vulgaris with the different varieties distingusihed at the food item level. It should also be possible to record if pulses are whole, split or skinless; this could be done using descriptors.
- Both the systematic and common nomenclature of pulses are confused and confusing. For example, many Phaseolus species have alternative names based on the Vigna genus. Common terms such as Split pea may refer to peas or lentils. Any additions, corrections or comments are welcome.
- Carob 'seed' consists of the seeds and pod of the Carob tree which contain a sweet pulp rich in sugars and gums Should this be categorised as a pulse, a seed, a fruit or a fruiting vegetable?
- Should there be a category for Lupin(e)s (Sweet lupins) and if so where should it be placed in the classification?
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