High-quality raw materials provide products widely used in many sectors, from the food industry to the pharmaceutical industry. Here’s what they are and how they can be employed
It was in 1946 when in the small town of Lagnasco, in the province of Cuneo (Italy), a project for a new plant for the production of special preserves and fruit jellies was submitted. Italy had just emerged from World War II, and the dream of a man gradually turned into a thriving production reality, a benchmark in Italy and worldwide.
It all began with Santino Sacchetto, the founder of today’s Sacchetto S.p.A. In the 1950s, he built the first distillation columns for the production of raw alcohol and alcohol for the food industry, quickly reaching a production of 45 hectoliters a day (which became 300 over the next two decades).
This success led not only to a further expansion of the company, but also to a diversification of the production. In fact, a new raw material was introduced: the soft wheat. A higher quality of ethyl alcohol can be distilled from soft wheat, and noble ingredients such as starch and protein can also be extracted.
The company’s growth was by then unstoppable. Thanks to the use of raw materials from certified organic farming, the company also began to export to foreign markets. Today, it produces a wide range of wheat and rice derivatives, many of which are available in organic and gluten-free versions.
Over the years, the company has kept investing in the ‘green’ sector, therefore in renewable energy sources. The decision to invest in achieving a greater and more powerful energy efficiency has led to an improved competitiveness: a very important asset in the market.
Rice derivatives
Rice derivatives have hypoallergenic and thickening properties, and are used in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and animal feed sectors. They are highly digestible, heat-stable and gluten-free.
The rice derivatives are extracted from rice caryopses (Japonica and Waxy varieties), and are produced through a careful grinding, skimming, washing and drying process. As a result, proteins, crystals and starch are obtained.
Rice Starch STD, mainly obtained from selected EU suppliers, is used as a thickener and stabiliser in the food industry, as an excipient in the pharmaceutical industry, and has a lenitive function for children’s skin.
Thanks to its ability to enhance the flavour of dough, rice starch is used in the preparation of sweet and savoury baked products, puddings, sauces and dressings. Find all its properties and uses here.
Rice starch WX also has thickening, stabilising and lenitive properties. It differs from Rice Starch STD due to the different raw material, which is Waxy rice from selected non-EU suppliers. It is characterised by higher viscosity and better retrogradation. It is used in the food industry to prepare sweet and savoury baked products, in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics sectors. You can discover it here.
Moreover, rice starch is available in an organic version, produced both with 100% rice from Italy and rice from non-EU countries.
During the process for extracting the rice starch also proteins 85% minimum guaranteed content are obtained: it is a powder used to prepare supplements and energy products, sweet and savoury dishes, smoothies, milkshakes and energy drinks. Click here to find out more.
Rice flakes are often utilised in the cosmetics industry (click here). It is a natural product used when bathing babies to relieve skin from irritation and redness, and protects laundry fibres in a natural way.
Wheat derivatives
A multitude of products are obtained from the processing operations of soft wheat grains. They are widely used in the food and cosmetic, as well as the pharmaceutical, paper and animal feed industries. These are starches, gluten and neutral ethyl alcohol, also available in organic versions. These products are high in thickening properties, protein values, and emollient properties for skin.
Among the most commonly used products is native wheat starch, also gluten-free, used in the production of pastry creams, puddings, sauces, cakes and biscuits. This kind of starch is also used in the pharmaceutical industry for the production of tablets, and it is very useful to prepare glues for corrugated cardboard. Click here to learn more about all the properties and uses of native wheat starch.
Neutral wheat ethyl alcohol is the result of the enzymatic transformation and further fermentation of soft wheat starch. It is a colourless, clear liquid, used to prepare alcoholic drinks, anti-mould, food preservative, and flavour solvent.
During the milling of common wheat, wheat bran is obtained, which is rich in fibre and used as feed for cattle raised in the stable.
In the different steps of the soft wheat grinding process, the middling represents the last by-product of milling, before flour is obtained. It is an ultra-fine brown flour with a sweetish flavour, used as energy supplement for animal feed. Click here to read more.
Organic products
The company is very aware of ecological issues: it has always been committed to preventing pollution and ensuring environmental protection. The interest in eco-sustainability and respect for the environment and the ecosystem have therefore made Sacchetto S.p.A. a reliable player in the production of organic products as well.
The following products are also offered in organic versions: native wheat starch, mostly used in the food and pharmaceutical sectors; neutral wheat ethyl alcohol, used to produce gin, vodka and spirits, as well as a preservative for bakery products; vital wheat gluten, used as an ingredient for vegetarian and vegan foods; organic rice starch, naturally gluten-free and extracted from organic rice selected in Italy, which is also gluten-free and used in food and cosmetics industries.
Gluten-free products
And speaking of gluten-free products, the company is well aware of the importance of also offering gluten-free solutions for those who suffer from intolerances. Through special refining processes, it is possible to obtain rice derivatives naturally gluten-free and wheat derivatives with less than 10 ppm.
Among its gluten-free products, Sacchetto offers gluten-free native wheat starch, also in an organic version, which is obtained from selected EU soft grains. Due to its stabilising and thickening function, it is used in many gluten-free bakery products, both sweet and savoury.
To preserve bakery products, this flavoured alcoholic product, also gluten-free, can be used as a food preservative.
Remaining in the field of spirits, neutral wheat ethyl alcohol is also gluten-free and is used to produce vodka, liqueurs and to conserve bakery products.
The list of gluten-free products is quite extensive and also includes the rice derivatives mentioned earlier, including organic EU rice starch.
Besides its commitment to the environment, the company has always focused on safety, ethics and high quality of products, through the careful selection of raw materials and the use of cutting edge technology and highly qualified employees. In fact, it is committed to obtaining and maintaining the most important certifications, recognised internationally, important guarantees for both the company and its customers. The utmost passion and quality, for products of the highest level.
Click here to read more about all products, rice and wheat derivatives, organic and gluten free.
