Republished from The Australian Nutgrower (printed publication), Winter 2024, Vol 38 No.2, with permission from the Australian Nut Industry Council.
The first to produce macadamia oil commercially, Plenty Foods says it will soon produce de-fatted macadamia flour – another world first.
The rise in demand for gluten free products has seen a plethora of alternative flours hit the market, and nuts have played a role in this, with almond flour used as a replacement in many recipes and products. But macadamia flour could soon be available as a revolutionary new gluten free alternative, with Plenty Foods investing in new flour production equipment that is currently under construction.
“We are on track to start producing in about 18 months. We will be the first in the world to produce a de-fatted macadamia flour,” Plenty Foods’ Managing Director Josh Gadischke reveals.
Plenty Foods is Australian owned and operated, and is based in Kingaroy in Queensland. They are Australia’s leading cold pressed oil manufacturer and were the first to product macadamia oil commercially more than 30 years ago.
A LIGHT, SUPER-FINE “FLUFFY” FLOUR
“Making flour out of any nut is challenging because of the oil content, and particularly so with macadamias, but with our existing capabilities in oil extraction, we can produce a much lighter, super-fine and fluffy flour that closely resembles traditional wheat flour.
“It won’t have that heavier, dense finish that can be typical of other nut flours” he says.
Josh says macadamia flour also holds potential as a beverage ingredient as it performs as well as drinking powder.
“The way it’s produced is similar to cocoa powder, which is essentially flour from a cocoa bean. In the USA, peanut flour is already being produced as a high protein beverage ingredient. The sports nutrition market is growing, and nut flours are gaining popularity in this space as they’re a natural alternative to some of the synthetic proteins that often feature in formulations.”
THE IMPORTANCE OF ORIGIN
The importance of origin is also recognised by Josh and could be a valuable tool in promoting macadamia flour. With around 40% of Plenty Foods’ macadamia oil exported to food and cosmetic businesses across Asia and Europe, Josh has an in-depth understanding of what matters to commercial buyers – reliable country of origin is high on the list.
“Customers buy from us because they like and trust Australian macadamias. Australia is known and trusted for the purity of the olive oil we cold press here, whether for cosmetic or culinary use. People want to know they can trust what they’re putting in their food an on their skin, and they have confidence in Australian origin product.”
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WANT TO KNOW MORE?
For more information about the benefits and commercial potential of nut flour, including macadamia nut flour, contact Plenty on the Contact page on this website.