21 de March, 2025
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Functional flours: the future of healthy and sustainable nutrition

As the largest milling group in Portugal, the Better Foods group plays an essential role in offering high-quality cereal flours and food ingredients for various applications, from traditional baking to large-scale food industry. The group’s commitment to innovation has enabled the development of so-called functional flours, which not only guarantee safety and quality but also contribute to the creation of healthier formulations aligned with new market demands and trends.

Unlike traditional refined flours, which undergo processes that remove much of their nutrients, functional flours preserve or even enhance their properties, making them important allies in creating more balanced and nutritious foods.

Functional flours are those that, in addition to their structural role in baking and confectionery, offer additional benefits, both nutritional and technological. Sourced from cereals, they are processed in such a way as to preserve or improve their properties, making them strategic ingredients in the formulation of innovative products.

Among their main advantages are:

  • High content of fibers, proteins, and antioxidants;
  • Improved digestibility;
  • Increased microbiological stability.

With these characteristics, functional flours are gaining more and more space in the food industry, being used in breads, cookies, pasta, gluten-free products, and even in baby food.

Main Functional Flours

The Better Foods group offers a wide range of functional flours, each with specific properties that meet the needs of the food industry. Some of the most relevant include:

  • Whole wheat flour – Retains all the components of the grain, offering a higher content of fibers, vitamins, and minerals. Improves satiety and digestion, ideal for breads, cakes, and pasta.
  • Spelt flour – A more digestible option compared to wheat flour, rich in proteins and soluble fibers, ideal for baking and confectionery.
  • Rice flour – Naturally gluten-free, it is widely used in baby food products and specialized baking. It also serves as a thickener in various industrial applications.
  • Rye flour – Rich in fibers and minerals, it contributes to cardiovascular health and is essential in the production of rustic and fermented breads.
  • Corn flour – A source of antioxidants and naturally gluten-free, used in baking, breakfast cereals, brewing industry, and snacks.
  • Thermally treated flours – Improve digestibility and ensure microbiological stability, particularly suitable for baby food, baking, and sauces.

How to Incorporate Functional Flours in the Food Industry

The choice and incorporation of functional flours depend on the final product type and desired characteristics. Some strategies include:

  • Partial substitution of refined flour – In many recipes, it is possible to replace part of the white wheat flour with a functional version without compromising texture or flavor.
  • Combining flours – Mixing different types of flours can optimize the nutritional and technological characteristics of products.
  • Adjusting formulations – Some flours absorb more moisture and can alter the dough structure. It is essential to conduct tests to ensure proper recipe adaptation.
  • Using thermal treatments – Thermally treated flours can be an effective alternative to ensure greater stability and food safety.

Better Foods’ Commitment

The Better Foods group is dedicated to producing flours that sustain the foundation of Portuguese and international nutrition, offering innovative solutions for both artisanal and industrial baking, as well as other food industries. With a strong commitment to quality and food safety, we continuously invest in the development of ingredients that meet the new market trends and demands.

The Better Foods group is the largest milling group in Portugal, producing high-quality cereal flours and food ingredients with the important mission of sustaining the foundation of Portuguese nutrition and beyond borders.

Founded in 2018, the group consists of four cereal milling factories, that process various types of grains, a frozen products company, specializing in the distribution of bakery and pastry items, and two logistics complexes responsible for distribution throughout the national territory, as well as in Galicia and Andalusia. It is, therefore, one of the most important B2B groups in the food sector in Portugal, dedicated to cereal processing and the production of everyday foods.