Premium quality in gluten-free grains

We at Schär seek continuous improvements through close cooperation with chemists, agronomists, nutritionists and farmers. Schär’s cereals are cultivated under the management of trained, certified Schär contract farmers. This allows us to guarantee you premium gluten-free quality.

Over the 20th century, much of the variety of cereals traditionally grown over millennia ended up being lost as farming focused on massive yields in key crops such as wheat. Part of Dr. Schär’s R&D activities focuses on reversing that process and boosting the availability and quality of gluten-free cereals.

The Re-Cereal project is one example of this work, aimed at improving the quality and the yield of the ´minor cereals’ oats and millet and the pseudo-cereal buckwheat, all naturally gluten-free grains. Different varieties have been recovered from disuse and cultivated in experimental fields in the Friuli Venezia Giulia, South Tyrol and Carinthia regions of Europe.

VItaMì - Varietà Italiane di Miglio – is another Dr. Schär research project helping to enrich the biodiversity of grains for cultivation through the selection of new varieties of millet well adapted to European soil and climatic conditions. The selected varieties of millet, a naturally gluten-free and high- in minerals and vitamins, will be grown by partner farmers to produce some of the Schär products of the future.

We use an extensive range of nutritious, naturally gluten-free raw ingredients. Various naturally gluten-free grains, such as corn and rice, as well as alternative grains such as millet, buckwheat, oats, sorghum and quinoa, play an important role in optimising the taste and texture of our products, whilst ensuring a high nutritional value. Every raw ingredient must first pass the strict controls of our in-house quality laboratory before it can be used in production.

Gluten is fundamental in providing the familiar texture, taste and shape of staple baked goods. Within large-scale gluten-free food production, it is vital to use specific auxiliary ingredients in order to produce a good quality end product. We use thickening agents and dietary fibre as a replacement for the binding qualities of gluten. We take a responsible approach when it comes to the use of such ingredients:

• We do not add any artificial flavourings, aromas or colourings to our products. 
• We do not add artificial preservatives.

Our aim is to balance the amount of sugar, salt and fat (especially saturated fat) in all of our products. Where it is possible, we reduce these ingredients without compromising taste and enjoyment, in order to help our consumers eat a balanced, gluten-free diet. The standards we follow at Schär are aligned with national and international guidelines.

We use high-quality vegetable oils and fats in our products, and we will continue to use a wide variety of grains and other raw ingredients with a naturally high protein content, allowing us to provide foods with optimised amino acid profiles and high levels of micronutrients. Many of our products already contain high quantities of fibre. Millet, buckwheat, oats and other sources (e.g. psyllium, apple fibre, inulin) contribute significant amounts of fibre and can be found in many of our everyday food products.