The milling industry has experienced a lot of changes throughout the years. Looking back, the miller was a very respectable person who possesed valuable knowledge about transforming grains into flour that help us make homemade baked goods. However, nowadays, modern technologies and milling machines have advanced to the point of becoming a thrustworthy partner for the miller. Faster ways of selecting, crushing, grinding and granulating the grains have been found and the innovation in the milling industry is constantly expanding.
At GoodMills Group, we treasure the milling tradition techniques, but we are always trying to improve our work and deliver only the highest standards of quality and expertise for the milling industry. We are always keeping up with the innovations so that we can provide our business partners and end-consumers flour products of the highest quality, in line with the evolution of the daily lives of consumers.
Because we want to deliver only the highest quality products in every country we are present, we strive to use only the finest machines and advanced technology. Always keeping an eye out on the industry trends provides us the chance to offer consumers and stakeholders only high quality flour and bakery products.
Here is a glimpse on the milling industry news regarding the modern milling trends:
Trend 1: Automation is the most prominent trend in the milling sector
Automation can help lower the operational costs for crushing, grinding, granulating and grating the carefully selected grains. Automated processes are also time-efficient and considered a key element to global competitiveness, due to the fact that it results in lesser errors during the process of making flour and it allows millers to do multiple operations at the same time. All this requires machines that have a better stability and accuracy throughout the whole process of making flour. The integration of automated systems in the milling industry is expected to continuously grow from year to year.
At GoodMills Group, our technical know-how derives from traditional milling and benefits of the innovative milling techniques of the modern days.
In each of the 7 core countries where we have mills, our technical teams make sure that we use only state of the art technology and processes. In the milling industry, it is very important to choose the most feasible or cost effective technology for outcomes as efficient as possible. This is why we keep an open eye in investing only in cutting edge milling technology, while we are trying to make the most out of the existing technologies.
Trend 2: Whole grains is the new favorite consumers trend
More and more consumers have begun to adopt a healthier lifestyle and are educating themselves in choosing only quality products, less refined and less processed. Also, consumers that buy baked goods are interested in choosing products that have fewer additives and preservatives or none at all.
Consuming more natural, less processed and whole grains products is a trend that gains more and more background in today’s market. This consumer preference indicates a modern eating landscape that is driven by wellness aspirations and mindful meals. Consumers are in pursuit of foods that have a valuable nutritional intake and this includes also flour based homemade goods.
We are always trying to meet all the necessary consumers expectations of eating natural food products, with a fresh taste, that can be easily made at home, day by day. Our product range includes traditional flour, specialty flour, functional flour with enhanced nutrient qualities and also customer-specific mixtures. Our flour is made from different grains – wheat, rye, spelt, durum from pasta and corn. We are open to embrace new consumers eating trends and adjust the quality of our products, both conventional and organic, in order to fulfill these requests.
Trend 3: Consumers are turning towards gluten-free flour
Mill flour nowadays face a new challenge – the consumers increasing preference for gluten-free products. On one hand, there is a small part of the population that has real gluten intolerence, while the other part is concerned about their healthy eating habits and want to make adjustments by cutting gluten from their foods. The millers at the GoodMills Group are highly trained in selecting quality grains and carrefully supervise gluten and starch levels in order to produce the best flour suited for homemade baked goods.
On the other hand, a general trend started to form among the consumers that want to adopt a healthier eating lifestyle and this is mostly associated with reducing carbohydrates intake, which can result in a decline in bread consumptions in European countries.
Trend 4: Consumers embrace diverse food requirements
Vegan and vegetarian choices, social consciousness about the environment, lower-sodium, reduced fats, sugar-free products, allergen-free, all of these dictate the shifting eating behaviour of nowadays consumers. As a modern milling company, GoodMills Group is always aware and up to date with these food requirements, along with safety and good experience of the consumers which lie at the core of our business.
About GoodMills Group and the innovations we are bringing in the milling industry
GoodMills Group has been an important player in the flour market since 1970s. We expanded our activities in 7 european countries, such as Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Austria. With our motto „We unlock the power of grains” we make a promise to our end-consumers and business partners: as the largest milling company in Europe, with 25 mills in 7 countries, we supply the industrial, bakery and retail clients with high quality flour and bakery products derived from carefully selected grains. Our 1,600 employees are the main contributers at us being the european leading milling company and at ensuring the high quality of our entire portfolio. All of these help us to promptly respond to the ever-changing eating habits of the well-informed and more health-conscious end-consumers and business partners we have across all countries. Consumers in particular demand a use of high quality raw materials that we use to make our best flours, semolina and maize, and we always listen so that we can fastly meet their expectations. It takes a lot of research and development from our teams, but we know that listening and adapting to consumer needs is the key to continue being the leading milling company in the Central and Eastern Europe.