Ardent Mills Introduces New Gluten-free and Keto Friendly Flour Blends for Canadian Market

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario – April 25, 2022 – Ardent Mills, the premier flour-milling and ingredient company, today announced the launch of its new certified gluten-free flour blends and Keto-friendly flour blends for the Canadian market. The expansion of its portfolio comes as a natural next step in Ardent Mills’ strategic growth plan to further invest in alternative grain capabilities and diversify its portfolio of solutions, building upon its traditional flour business.

A major step for the industry, Ardent Mills’ Keto-friendly flour blends can be used as a replacement for conventional flour without compromising taste, texture or functionality, while our new gluten-free flour blends offer ease of use for a variety of formats.

"Interest in Keto-friendly and gluten-free lifestyles continues to grow as consumers seek solutions that match their personal health values and preferences. In fact, Keto is the fastest growing ‘healthy claim’ appearing on menus¹, and 44 percent of consumers eat gluten-free at least some of the time, according to Ardent Mills proprietary research,” said Elaine O’Doherty, Canada marketing lead, Ardent Mills. “Our new Keto-friendly blends and gluten-free blends provide bakers with uncompromised formulations for keto-friendly or gluten-free applications.”

The new flour blends will be available for purchase directly through Ardent Mills Canada and bakery and foodservice distributors across Canada. The new products include:

• Gluten-free 1:1 All-Purpose Flour: Suited for retail bakeries, wholesale bakeries and foodservice operators, this innovative formula can be used as a one-to-one replacement for conventional flour in most recipe applications without compromising taste, texture or functionality.
• Gluten-free Pizza Flour Blend: This innovative blend makes it easy for foodservice and pizza chain operators to deliver fresh, great-tasting, gluten-free crusts, including thin, flatbread and pan pizzas – which were historically difficult to formulate for.
• Keto-Friendly Flour Blend: For bread and bakery manufacturers, Ardent Mills offers a Keto-friendly flour blend for a broad range of bread and baked goods, with the taste and texture consumers love. A proprietary functional ingredient system, this blend was formulated to achieve the right balance of dietary fibers and grains without nuts or nut flour and does contain gluten which allows customers to run on their current equipment without significant changes.
• Keto-Friendly Pizza Mix: Developed for foodservice and pizza chain operators, this easy-to-use mix was designed for simple back of shop operations and is suitable for most crust formats while still providing a great tasting pizza experience with texture and crunch.

"Today, consumers expect food choices that align with their individual diet preferences and these latest alternative offerings are a major step forward in making that a reality,” said Buck Vanniejenhuis, Canada general manager, Ardent Mills. “We’re thrilled that we can now offer bread and bakery manufacturers, retail and wholesale bakeries, and foodservice and pizza chain operators a one-stop shop for all their flour and alternative grain needs. Ardent Mills is truly at the forefront of this space, and I look forward to continuing to grow our portfolio in the years to come.”

As part of the company’s long-term plan for strategic growth, Ardent Mills continues to invest in the alternative grains space. Most recently, the company acquired the business assets of Firebird Artisan Mills, based in Harvey, ND, which provides dedicated certified gluten-free milling capabilities. For more information, please visit https://www.ardentmills.ca/products/innovative-flour-blends/.

ABOUT ARDENT MILLS

Ardent Mills is committed to transforming how the world is nourished. As the premier flour-milling and ingredient company, we cultivate the future of plant-based solutions to help our customers and communities thrive. We operate in more than 40 locations that specialize in flour, quinoa, pulses, and organic and gluten-free products that drive emerging nutrition and innovation across plant-based ingredients. Our holistic portfolio empowers us to meet the complex needs of customers today while focusing on the growing needs of tomorrow’s consumer. Deeply rooted in communities throughout North America, we operate in Canada, the US and Puerto Rico with company headquarters in Denver, Colorado. We employ more than 100 certified millers and support thousands of local jobs that contribute billions of dollars to local economies -- helping our people, our customers, and families everywhere flourish. To learn more about our mission and our solutions, visit ardentmills.com.

MEDIA CONTACT

Kelley Kaiser External Communications Manager, Ardent Mills Kelley.Kaiser@ardentmills.com

¹Technomic Menu Food Trends September 2021