The production of gluten-free 65 Oats products has started in Kinnusen Mylly’s new pure oat mill

The largest individual investment of Kinnusen Mylly’s history has been completed, and the sale of gluten-free 65 Oats oat products has started. At the same time, Kinnusen Mylly is switching to fully renewable energy sources.

Since the beginning of the 1960s, family business Kinnusen Mylly has been producing flour and animal feed from raw material from its local region. The company is now establishing its third business pillar of gluten-free oats. The 65 Oats pure oat mill, located in Utajärvi in Northern Finland, specialises in the production of gluten-free oat products. Similar pure oat mills can be found only in a few other locations in the world.

Oat thrives in the special conditions of Northern Finland. Oat from the north is pure, and its quality is in a class of its own. In addition, the farmers have a high level of expertise. Kinnusen Mylly’s pure oat mill uses nothing but oat that is free from glutenous grains, acquired from audited contract farmers. This ensures the safe use of oat for people with coeliac and other consumers who avoid gluten.

“For us, purity in oats means also gluten-free. The demand for gluten-free products is growing around the world, but, unfortunately, oat is used quite rarely due to the contamination risk it contains. This is why we decided to specialise in safely produced gluten-free pure oats,” explains Managing Director Aarne Kinnunen.

Even in the mill itself, investments in cleanliness are visible: the pure oat has its own grain reception, laboratory, packaging and storage. The mill building is pressurised and uses filtered air. Top technology sorts out any foreign grains that have possibly entered the process. Product safety at the oat mill is FSSCC 22000 certified, and the mill has been granted the official Gluten-free symbol from the Finnish Coeliac Society, based on the standards of the Association of European Coeliac Societies.

The new oat mill produces gluten-free oat flakes, oat groats, steel cut oats and pressed oats, also in organic versions. Products are sold both domestically and internationally under the 65 Oats brand that points to the northern parallel. The initial focus is on the needs of the food industry. Consumer packaging will enter the markets later.

The newly completed oat mill enables Kinnusen Mylly to switch completely to renewable energy. The production of oat flakes creates a lot of oat hull, which is used to produce animal feed as well as steam energy for the use of the animal feed plant, the oat mill and the Utajärvi district heating network.