Molini Spigadoro: quality wellness

We asked Mario Cucchia, CEO of Molini Spigadoro since 2005, to tell us what characteristic set the company apart as a leader in the world of Italian milling for the business channel, bakery and pizzeria sector. The company has reached this role thanks to the tradition of the brand – which is nearing its 100th birthday – but also for its ability to keep up with the times. Speaking to one of the managers it is clear that all efforts in recent years have been directed to one specific goal: to found the mill on the principle of a strictly controlled supply chain to ensure a nutritional healthy product, i.e. natural, organic and free of contaminants. Yet the technological content is advanced, and is designed to meet the various needs of the production process. “We have inherited a glorious past – specifies Cucchia – that we honour every day by working towards production and product innovation, to meet the modern needs of the HORECA food industry.”
What are the needs of your consumers?
Today’s consumers pay more attention to the nutritional value of products, from the ingredients, to how they are selected and processed. The public is more sensitive to the issues of allergens and contaminants. They are increasingly demanding products which are certified as natural or gluten, lactose, egg or yeast free or even with a lower sugar content or protein content or made from alternative ingredients. In practice many consumers demand more and much higher quality than in the past.
What do you mean by quality flour?
The term “quality” has been widely abused for over at least the last two decades, starting in the 80s. It often sounding important but was empty. Today however this word is filled with substance. In reality to produce a quality flour there is a series of underling complex actions that lead to a rich, contaminant free and nutritionally well-balanced product.
Which of your products is now more centred in this way?
Without a doubt it is the NUTRIDEA flour line, ideal for use across the confectionery, bakery and pizzeria sectors. Under this brand we have high fibre and micronutrient products, types 1, 2 and wholegrain flours. With this specific brand, thought up six years ago, we wanted to add value to these products which were often considered marginal in the milling sector. According to studies conducted with the University of Perugia we believe that these products are noble, worthy of exploitation and dissemination. So much so that we are not an online niche, but a viable option, indeed an improvement for all productions, compared to refined flours.
What is the added value of these flours and in general of your production?
We are very strict in the selection of suppliers, warehouses and the deliveries of wheat, as well as controls and analysis. Once the lot of corn has been as approved and cleaned, before grinding, it undergoes a process of decortication which removes the outer layers of the grain. This process is rarely done on wheat. Therefore, even the parts that we recover from the chaff for the production of types 1 and 2 flour derive exclusively from the heart of the kernel, ensuring no residual contaminants – heavy metals, mycotoxins, bacteria and pesticides – most of which are found in the shell of the grain. From a usage point of view our flours perform well thanks to a reduced particle size of the chaff, which helps the leavening process and smooth development of the air sacks in the finished product.
What are the advantages of your type 1 and 2 flours?
As I said, the ease of processing, but especially the improvement of the product from an organoleptic point of view, that is the aroma and taste, especially in bakery. Not least, from the economic point of view, given that these flours absorb more water and therefore guarantee a higher yield in terms of finished product.