16 September 2008 - The largest Russian grain processor, OJSC PAVA plans to shift its main business from flour milling to higher margin activities and manufacture a new line of high-added value products. The production will be wasteless according to the “Think outside the kernel” approach, and the assortment will be mainly represented by wheat gluten, starches and alcohols.
Starch is the main reserve substance of most plants, which is formed in the cells of their green parts and accumulated in seeds, tubers, bulbs, etc. PAVA will manufacture starches from wheat grown in the Altay and Krasnoyarsk regions, which is ecologically clean raw material.
Starch can be described as one of the most multifunctional raw materials in the food industry and pharmacology, partly because it has a natural ability to create gels and thickeners. It is used for providing the required texture, moisture level, consistency of the products, as well as longer keeping time. Particularly, a good use for this ingredient is found in production of bread, drinks, confectionery, dairy and dessert products, grocery, instant food.
In the process of bread-baking starch performs the following important functions: acts as a source of fermentable carbohydrates, absorbs water during mixing, takes part in dough formation, and is responsible for hardening of bread during its keeping. The condition of flour starch influences the properties of dough and the quality of bread. Fineness and wholeness of starch granules impact the consistency of dough, its water-absorption capacity and sugar content.
In the non-food sector starch is used in cellulose, chemical, textile, metal-processing industries and many others.
PAVA has already signed a series of preliminary agreements for starch with large international distributor companies and major end-users. The planned long-term collaboration with big holdings in Russia and abroad is aimed at achieving mutually beneficial results.