Miller Magazine Issue: 134 February 2021

47 COVER STORY MILLER / february 2021 lead to fluctuations in prices and quality. For mills, this means that they have to constantly adjust their sourcing and choice of suppliers to adjust for global wheat mar- ket shifts. What does remain consistent is their custom- ers’ expectations in terms of product quality. This makes wheat purchasing a key factor in the profitability of a mill. Mühlenchemie helps over 2000 mills in more than 130 countries to meet these challenges. Its expert teams in Germany, Mexico, Singapore, India, China, Russia, Ka- zakhstan, Turkey and Nigeria standardise in excess of 100 million tonnes of wheat for their customers every year. The company knows the latest requirements of manufacturers, what new wheat lots are on the market, and what results are possible with what processing. In the Stern-Technology Center in Ahrensburg, Germany, Mühlenchemie’s applications technicians analyse wheat samples from around the world, especially from the big exporters like Russia, the US, Canada, France and Austra- lia. The resulting data is collected, prepared and shared with customers. This information can also be used as a criterion for selecting a source. The earlier the quality of a new batch of wheat can be evaluated, the easier it is to make adjustments in routine operations. In order to give mills certainty when deciding which wheat to purchase, the company has continuously expanded and added functions to its milling laboratory in Ahrensburg. Wheat samples are taken as ships are loaded, and flown to the Mühlenchemie lab. While the bulk of the wheat is underway by ship, the samples are analysed. Within a few days, the miller gets information on the composition and processing characteristics of the flour. When the wheat shipment reaches the mill, the miller already knows how to make the optimum wheat mixture. Pro- duction can begin immediately under the desired parameters, without having to make changes in real time operation. The automatic milling machine in Ahrensburg can mill grain in stages in six passages. The extraction rate can be var- ied by adjusting the milling gap and sieve mesh. The results are very nearly identical to those of industrial mills, so that suit- able solutions can be developed in the lab. The flour is then tested in baking trials, in order to get the ideal results from flour analysis to product development. This can range from a few hundred grams of whole-grain flour from the falling number mill for a short examination of enzyme activity, to the production of several ki- lograms of refined flour for a complete rheological evaluation including applica- tion testing. The most recent laboratory investments were in climate chambers in which regional ambient humidity and temperature con- ditions can be simulated. These analyses give mills the knowledge they need for optimum purchase and production planning. Thus, regardless of the target market or application, they can find the right solutions for anything that can be made from flour, be it rolls, flat bread, formed bread, freely set bread, biscuits, wafers or pasta. Wheat samples are taken as ships are loaded, and flown to the Mühlenchemie lab. While the bulk of the wheat is underway by ship, the samples are analysed. The results of the automatic milling machine in Ahrensburg are very nearly identical to those of industrial mills, so that suitable solutions can be developed in the lab.