Certified at max 10 parts perm (ppm) gluten to exceed industry standards, OatPure oats are developed at Glanbia’s new state-of-the-art food grade milling facility in Portlaoise, guaranteeing gluten-free oat traceability and purity.
The day started with a minibus journey to Glanbia’s new state-of-the-art food grade milling facility in Portlaoise. This is a well-known company in the dairy sector, but has specialised in next-generation grains since 2007. Its business evolution has happened over a long period of time, as the company patiently took on new grain endeavours.
Today’s news about the gluten-free oats makes sense, and I can vouch for the impressive new oat mill, which may take this €3.3bn revenue company into new sectors, expanding its reach beyond the 19 countries in which it already does business.
Of course, I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of the machinery, but I was allowed full access to each stage of the processing on a guided tour by Larry McDonald, head of quality at Glanbia Agrifood. Thanks to Glanbia’s full ownership of the NSF-certified closed loop supply chain process, the plant is unique in processing only oat ingredients to guarantee a certified gluten-free product. The oat processing facility operates to Grade A BRC accreditation and the raw material supply chain is further independently certified.
Glanbia’s agronomists work closely with a team of 20 Glanbia cooperative farmers to initiate the controlled process at seed selection stage, using dedicated gluten-free equipment throughout the protected supply chain system. I met one of these farmers, David Walsh-Kennis, who walked me around his large farm and shared his thoughts about crop rotation, costs and the benefits of growing oats for the gluten-free market.
Once his GPS-monitored land is prepared for planting, the Glanbia team supervises the specialist crop from planting through to sampling and storage to ensure full seed traceability. The oats are examined at all growth stages to optimise rotation, minimise the risk of cross-contamination and ensure the highest quality of pure oats for harvest.
At the milling facility, trained personnel implement an audited labelling and tracking process with guaranteed gluten-free equipment to deliver a fully traceable end product. During processing, the OatPure gluten-free oats are heat-treated for optimum food safety and stability, before being dried, stored and milled in dedicated gluten-free facilities.
The company says the OatPure gluten-free oats are ideal for bread, cookies, granola bars and on-the-go nutrition. By offering beneficial properties such as fibre, protein and ALA omega-3s, OatPure gluten-free oats can enhance the texture and health profile of these products.
“The gluten-free market is expanding rapidly and, as such, offers great potential, as we see consumers opting for gluten-free choices in pursuit of a healthy diet,” said Carla Clissmann, EMEA regional director at Glanbia Nutritionals. “We believe our OatPure gluten-free oats are the purest on the market today, which is testament to our commitment to research and setting the highest standard in regulatory compliance.”
Glanbia’s OatPure gluten-free oats will be available to customers in Europe from November 2014. I’ll be taking a look around the company’s Innovation Centre tomorrow, so will hopefully have some photos to share with you.
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