Processing

When the raw material arrives at CerealVeneta, it is stored in our refrigerated warehouse, entering CerealVeneta’s monitored cold chain. Any raw material blocked by the management system cannot enter production. The raw material is sampled and immediately analysed by our in-house laboratory. It is unblocked only if the analysis results are negative.

Once approved, the raw material is cleaned and brushed mechanically, through rotary drum systems that use mechanical movement and air intake to eliminate all residual parts caused by handling, transportation and storage.

The raw material is then sent to the appropriate processing stage to create the semi-finished product requested by the customer.

The product undergoes dry heat treatment with moisture extraction to lower the bacterial load and stabilize the enzymatic part using low temperatures.

CerealVeneta’s process is unique in that it does not degrade the nutritional properties of the raw material while preventing subsequent degradation and oxidation, to ensure better performance in the final product.

If the customer requires improvement not only of the nutritional properties but also of organoleptic characteristics, the raw material undergoes more intense heat treatment that, depending on the processing parameters, modifies the colour, aroma, flavour and structure of the starches, creating a semi-finished product with a more resistant starch content or with better binding.

If the semi-finished product is to play a structuring role, CerealVeneta uses qualified suppliers that transform the raw material into flakes using a steamer system, boiling, decanting, rolling, drying and packaging the raw material, before returning to CerealVeneta for the remaining steps necessary to obtain the appropriate semi-finished product.

CerealVeneta’s crushing processes use grooved rolling mills and in-line roller mills that condition the material, reducing it to the necessary particle size for use in the process.

Starting with a whole raw material, or one previously conditioned by crushing, the rolling process uses smooth roller mills to create an almost “final” semi finished product in terms of the characteristics of shape and size. The obtained format varies from a smooth to a granular product, depending on the raw material and the pre-treatment it has undergone.

If the semi-finished product’s application does not require it to be transformed into flour, but still requires a uniform particle size or no bottom, the physically conditioned raw material goes through the calibration or sifting phase. The product passes through a series of screens to obtain a product with a particle size appropriate for the customer’s request.

CerealVeneta has developed and perfected this process over the years. Using special cold mills, the native or heat treated raw material is milled to different particle sizes, depending on the specific request. The use of cold in the milling process preserves the product’s organoleptic characteristics, reduces the bacterial load and decreases mechanical stress, one of the main causes of oxidation.

If the application requires an “impalpable” semi-finished product, we process the raw material with particle sizes of less than 300 microns. Cold is used in this case as well, hence the name of the process “Cryo-micronization”. This very fine grinding improves the technological and organoleptic characteristics of the semi-finished product, increases its binding capacity and structures the product (especially legumes).

For even greater customisation, semi-finished products (even ones of different origins, formats and sizes) can be mixed in dedicated facilities that make homogeneous the components of the recipe, and allow packaging in bag, big bags or tanks.

In thermal conditioning during packaging, the semi-finished product is packaged at temperatures below ambient temperature after undergoing heat treatment.

The semi-finished product is packaged in a vacuum applied to containers in which big bags and paper bags are placed.

The semi-finished product is packaged in blue packaging, which is universally accepted as being visually detectable by detection systems.

The semi-finished product is packaged using special films for pallets and big bags, which is perforated to compensate for thermal shock during packaging, transport and storage.

The semi-finished product is shipped in sheeted and similar vehicles. This solution is recommended during the winter months, where the low environmental temperatures help preserve the product.

To guarantee and protect the cold chain applied and controlled by CerealVeneta, heat-sensitive semi-finished products are shipped in controlled temperature vehicles (+4° – +7°) when environmental temperatures average more than 20°C. This mode is used between April and September, especially for semi-finished products derived from oilseeds or from raw materials having a high fat content.

The semi-finished product is shipped loose in a dedicated food tank. This form of transport is suitable for semi-finished products derived from single raw materials and for special mixes. Each shipment includes a vehicle washing and sanitizing certificate to guarantee safe transport.