NuCicer launches Nuchi high-protein chickpeas to target growing demand for clean-label ingredients

NuCicer has unveiled Nuchi, a new class of high-protein chickpeas developed to address processing challenges that have limited the wider use of chickpea protein in food manufacturing. The company says the new varieties contain 50% more protein and 25% less fat than conventional chickpeas, allowing manufacturers to produce protein ingredients without the costly defatting step traditionally required.

• NuCicer launched Nuchi, a new class of high-protein chickpeas containing 50% more protein and 25% less fat than conventional varieties.
• The company planted 10,000 acres of Nuchi chickpeas across North America for the 2026 growing season.
• Nuchi was developed using AI-guided breeding and speed-breeding technologies to accelerate crop improvement without genetic modification.

The Davis, California-based crop improvement company said Nuchi was developed by combining plant genetics research with its AI-driven genomic modeling and speed-breeding platform. Rather than relying on genetic modification, the company mined the natural diversity found in ancient wild chickpea varieties to produce a non-GMO crop with improved nutritional and functional characteristics.

NuCicer is positioning the launch against a backdrop of growing global demand for protein ingredients. The company said whey protein concentrate prices have risen by more than 50% since January 2026, while consumer interest in higher-protein diets continues to grow, partly driven by the increasing use of GLP-1 medications. According to the company, 71% of Americans are now actively trying to consume more protein, compared with 59% three years ago. It also cited forecasts projecting the global protein ingredients market will grow from US$55 billion in 2025 to US$84 billion by 2033.

Unlike conventional chickpeas, which typically require fat removal before protein extraction, NuCicer said Nuchi's higher protein-to-fat ratio simplifies processing while reducing costs. The company also said the ingredient has a naturally mild flavor, reducing the need for flavor masking, and can be processed into flour, protein concentrate and protein isolate without solvent extraction.

"This is not your average chickpea," said Kathryn Cook, Co-founder & CEO of NuCicer. "The food industry has spent years processing around the limitations of standard chickpeas and compensating for what it couldn't deliver. We tapped into the natural genetic potential of this crop to create a better starting ingredient. Better food starts with better crops."

NuCicer is launching four ingredient formats based on the new crop: High Protein Flour, Low Fat Flour, Protein Concentrate and Protein Isolate. The company said the ingredients are suitable for applications including crackers, pancakes, waffles, pasta, cereals and snacks, while providing high fiber alongside increased protein levels.

The company added that Nuchi protein ingredients can be processed using existing pea protein manufacturing infrastructure, potentially reducing capital investment for processors looking to introduce chickpea protein into their product portfolios.

Nuchi represents the first commercial product developed using NuCicer's proprietary breeding platform. According to the company, its technology enables up to five generations of chickpeas to be grown each year, shortening breeding cycles from around 10 years to fewer than four. NuCicer said the platform allows it to target complex traits controlled by multiple genes that are difficult to achieve through marker-assisted breeding or gene editing alone.

"Nuchi proves we can deliver elite nutritional traits directly into the seed and at speeds traditional methods can't match," said Sean MacEachern, CTO of NuCicer. "By pairing our proprietary genetic library with our AI-guided breeding platform, we are engineering a climate-resilient crop designed to drop directly into existing processing infrastructure."

Commercial production is already underway. NuCicer said 10,000 acres of Nuchi chickpeas have been planted across North America for the 2026 growing season through its network of partner growers.

The company also highlighted the crop's agronomic characteristics. As a legume, chickpeas naturally fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers while improving soil fertility. NuCicer said those characteristics could become increasingly valuable as fertilizer costs remain elevated following recent global supply disruptions.

NuCicer said it is now working with ingredient processors and food manufacturers to establish commercial partnerships and is making samples available to prospective customers.