Flanquart, a French expert in seed processing, says it is “helping the food industry go green” by providing natural solutions created with seeds.
According to Flanquart, over the past 10 years, the number of flexitarians in France has increased significantly: 49% of French households have switched to a flexitarian diet, compared with 25% in 2012*. Flanquart states that its solutions help to cater for this rising consumer demand.
Based in Annezin, Flanquart will this year celebrate 30 years of developing expertise around the nutritional benefits of seeds as an asset for the agrifood industry. The company offers a wide range of natural ingredients with technical and organoleptic qualities, in both conventional and organic versions, and has established production networks with farmers in France and Europe.
Benefits of whole seeds
Flanquart’s solutions use whole seeds, allowing for more concise and natural formulas than many vegan staples. In flours or purées, seeds can help optimise and reduce the ingredients in many recipes. “Our seed purées and seeds flours open up a wide range of applications for the food industry in the current drive to develop minimally processed, natural and healthy products for consumers,” explains Gatien Dusaussoy, head of the Flanquart family business. “We offer different production solutions”.
“We draw on the benefits of seeds to offer a wide range of natural ingredients, enabling professionals to create finished products with a 100% plant-based formulation,” he adds.
The plant taste, which can be offputting for some consumers, is balanced out by toasting or caramelising the seeds beforehand, a process that brings out notes of hazelnut and praline. Flanquart produces sesame seed purée, also known as tahini, for the European market. Seed purees can be used in a wide range of applications: bread, pastries, granolas and muesli, desserts, ice creams, spreads, chocolates, vegetable cakes, plant milks, sauces, and culinary aids. Oilseed purées can be used for baking, replacing all or part of the butter in loaves of bread, pastries, and buns. Flanquart says that its seed flours enhance the flavour and preserve the freshness and moisture of bread.
Rich in plant proteins
Once it has been fully processed (after any husking), the seed retains its nutritional value. Flaxseeds, sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, chia, sesame, millet, amaranth, and pulses are rich in plant proteins (between 18% and 35%) and provide unsaturated fatty acids (omega 3, 6 and 9). All seeds are also sources of fibre (between 4.5% and 24.5%), vitamins and minerals (phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc).
“Thanks to our experience, we are able to help people choose seed solutions with the best formulas, in line with producing E-free or substitution solutions, for both organic and conventional products,” says Dusaussoy. “We can design new customised ingredients to meet the needs of the food industry.”
