Glanbia Ireland reveals developments in oat-based innovation for cleaner, functional food solutions
17 Mar 2022 --- The plant-based market has transitioned from trend to full-blown food revolution, with grains and cereals taking a prominent position in the development of plant-based food and beverages.
Glanbia Ireland, while known for being a dairy company, also has a long history in grains and cereals with its extensive Irish oat portfolio. The company has recently rolled out a range of functional oat flours for all plant-based alternative applications, such as yogurts, beverages, ice cream and bakery.
“There are many aspects to consider when choosing oat flakes for your granola, muesli and flapjack applications,” Tom Finlay, head of strategic alliances at Glanbia Ireland, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.
“Specifically, the three properties to consider are: physical properties, sensorial properties and shelf life.”
Glanbia oats are bigger and plumper than other oat varieties due to the temperature climate and heavy rainfall in Ireland.
Oat aesthetics and gluten-free properties
Physical properties of oat flakes that are always taken into consideration are its appearance, the flake thickness and the flake integrity.
Glanbia’s oats are bigger and plumper than other oats due to Ireland’s temperate climate with plenty of rainfall.
“Our oats are also more golden in color than most other oats, which delivers an excellent appearance in the final product,” details Finlay.
“Finally, our oats are more uniform which delivers a visual consistency in the final product. This consistency also provides a better yield, which in turn delivers a lower carbon footprint.”
Glanbia Ireland oats are also naturally gluten-free due to their controlled supply chain. Our gluten free integrity is achieved due to the Glanbia developed closed-loop supply chain system called OatSecure.
“Our identity represents the protection that comes with each stage in our unique 14 step process. OatSecure encompasses seed development, land and grower selection, sowing, crop monitoring, harvesting, drying, storage and milling.
Mainstay nutritional appeal
Grains and cereals are not new ingredients and in fact have a long heritage going back thousands of years.
In an upcoming webinar, experts from Glanbia Ireland will take viewers on its oat journey.This year, oats have seen an uptick in demand resulting from the increasing appeal of plant-based foods and beverages, which has led to expansion into new markets.
Oats are an excellent source of nutrition as they naturally contain between 11-13% proteins and are high in soluble fibers, particularly beta glucan, which can help to reduce and lower cholesterol.
They are also low in sugar, salt and saturated fat. In addition, oats contain a range of minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc.
In an upcoming webinar, experts from Glanbia Ireland will take viewers on its oat journey, demonstrating how Irish oats are the ideal plant-based solution for a broad swathe of applications.
Attendees may register for the exclusive FoodIngredientsFirst event here.
By Benjamin Ferrer
