NuCicer launches high-protein chickpea ingredient Nuchi

NuCicer on July 8, 2026, unveiled Nuchi, a non-GMO chickpea ingredient designed for cleaner-label, higher-protein food formulation and easier processing. The Davis, California, company says the crop delivers 50% more protein, 25% less fat and can fit existing manufacturing lines.

Why it matters: - Nuchi targets food manufacturers that want more protein without the processing and formulation tradeoffs of standard chickpeas. - The ingredient arrives as whey protein concentrate prices have risen more than 50% since January 2026, pushing reformulation across the market. - NuCicer is positioning chickpeas as a higher-functionality staple for plant-based ingredients and for products built around clean-label nutrition.

What happened: - NuCicer announced Nuchi™, a new class of high-protein chickpeas, on July 8, 2026. - The company says Nuchi comes from foundational plant genetics research, AI-driven genomic modeling and speed-breeding technology. - NuCicer developed the ingredient by mining natural diversity in ancient wild varieties. - The company says Nuchi is a non-GMO ingredient designed to compete with conventional chickpeas on nutrition, flavor and functionality.

The details: - Nuchi delivers 50% more protein and 25% less fat than a standard chickpea. - The higher protein-to-fat ratio removes the need for the costly defatting step in chickpea protein processing. - The ingredient has a mild, naturally neutral flavor that reduces the need for masking agents. - Nuchi flours and protein concentrates are non-GMO, gluten-free and high in fiber. - NuCicer says four ingredient formats are available: High Protein Flour, Low Fat Flour, Protein Concentrate and Protein Isolate. - High Protein Flour offers naturally higher protein, improved flavor, stronger performance and cleaner labels than conventional chickpea flour. - Low Fat Flour is designed for neutral flavor, improved processability and texture and expansion applications. - Protein Concentrate is simply milled, solvent-free and combines protein and fiber in one ingredient. - Protein Isolate is aimed at applications that need maximum protein concentration and precise functionality. - NuCicer has validated Nuchi in crackers, pancakes, waffles, pasta, snacks and cereals. - The company says the ingredient can work in existing pea protein processing infrastructure, which could lower capital costs for manufacturers.

Between the lines: - Nuchi is NuCicer’s first commercial output from its speed-breeding platform. - The platform runs five generations of chickpea per year and compresses a decade of traditional breeding into four years or less. - NuCicer says the platform can bring new varieties to market faster than conventional breeding and can address complex, multi-gene traits that gene editing and marker-assisted selection cannot reach. - CEO Kathryn Cook said the food industry has spent years compensating for standard chickpea limitations. - CTO Sean MacEachern said the company is pairing a proprietary genetic library with an AI-guided breeding platform to build a climate-resilient crop that fits existing processing infrastructure. - The message to manufacturers is clear: better seed design can reduce downstream processing work and improve ingredient economics.

What's next: - NuCicer is working with ingredient processors and food manufacturers to establish partnerships. - The company is accepting sample requests at nucicer.com. - Nuchi chickpeas are already grown by partner growers across North America, with 10,000 acres planted in 2026. - As a legume, chickpeas draw nitrogen from the air and replenish soil nitrogen, which can reduce fertilizer needs and lower costs. - NuCicer says that matters more as fertilizer prices stay elevated because of global supply disruptions.

The bottom line: - NuCicer is betting that a better chickpea can unlock cleaner-label, high-protein foods without forcing manufacturers to redesign their operations.