Venerdi - OUR INGREDIENTS

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OUR INGREDIENTS

Venerdi Breads - Healthy for everyone.

At Venerdi, we are constantly striving to produce convenient, great tasting and healthy products. We always aim to preserve the nutritive value of our ingredients and use processes that enhance their absorption and utilisation by your body.

The development of our gluten free and spelt product range has meant that we have used alternatives to wheat and in the process created breads that are packed full of healthy ingredients with many additional beneficial qualities.

We know that the greatest potential for nutritional loss is at the milling step so we choose to partner with suppliers who demonstrate that they share our passion for your health and wellbeing by using processes that preserve these beneficial qualities.

Whole Grains

Understanding how we preserve these beneficial qualities requires a little understanding about whole grains. The term whole grain refers to a grain that is fully intact. Whole grains have three main divisions - the starchy endosperm (the soft inner core of the grain), the bran (the hard outer layer of the grain) and the germ (the reproductive component of the grain). Prior to the industrial revolution all grains were stone ground and contained the entire grain kernel. Industrialised roller milling at the end of the 19th century introduced mass refining and this significantly changed the nutritional quality of milled grains.

Most of the micronutrients and insoluble fibre found within the grain are contained in the bran and the germ layers. Modern flour milling processes remove the bran and the germ layers to produce refined white flour of reduced nutritional value. Although some nutrients can be replaced or added back, it is impossible to recreate the synergy of the nutrients in the wholegrain.

At Venerdi Ltd. most of our flours are true wholemeal flours that contain 100% of the original wholegrain.

So what are some of the benefits of retaining the whole grain?

For starters, whole grains provide dietary fibre. There are two kinds of dietary fibre – soluble and insoluble.

Soluble Dietary Fibre

Soluble fibre is found in oats and seeds. It dissolves in water and slows the rate of digestion in the stomach. This means that you will feel fuller for longer and maintain your blood sugar levels. Intake of this kind of fibre has been linked to increased insulin sensitivity.

Eating whole grains is also linked to a healthier lipid profile. There are two reasons for this. The first is that whole grains are filling but they do not contain loads of kilojoules. What this means is that people who eat whole grains may not eat lots of sugar and fat. The second reason is that whole grains contain plant sterols. Plant sterols are structural components of plant cell membranes. The animal equivalent is cholesterol. Plant sterols can inhibit the uptake of cholesterol in the human intestine and this can lead to a reduction in your serum cholesterol levels.

Soluble fibre is fermented in the colon where it provides energy for the growth of beneficial bacterial flora. Optimal bacterial proliferation in your intestine will promote optimal nutrient absorption.

Insoluble Dietary Fibre

Insoluble fibre is found in unrefined whole grains. Insoluble fibre speeds the passage of intestinal waste by holding water and increasing fecal bulk. This results in a decrease in transit time preventing constipation, haemorrhoids and may even reduce your risk of bowel disease. Did you know that stool weight has been shown to be inversely related to colon cancer risk?

Micronutrients

Whole grains contain important micronutrients that are beneficial to health. Grains are high in B vitamins (Vitamin B1 - Thiamin, Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin, Vitamin B3 - Niacin, Vitamin B6 – Pyroxidine and Folate) Thiamin, Riboflavin and Niacin are required for optimal energy production from your food. Pyroxidine is required for optimal protein metabolism whilst folate is essential for healthy cell division.

Grains are also typically rich in minerals including Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, Copper and Iron. Magnesium is a co factor in hundreds of essential enzyme reactions in your body. Manganese, Zinc and Copper are essential for your immunity and antioxidant defence. Iron is required for the formation of your red blood cells and a healthy circulation because iron transports the oxygen in your blood.

Did you know that the average antioxidant activity in whole grain breads is similar to that of fruits and vegetables on a per serving basis?

If you eat a variety of whole grain products you can be assured that you be getting enough of these important vitamins and minerals daily.

Whole grain bread is a great way to get your daily fibre fix because baking the bread reduces the likelihood that the grains will inhibit your uptake of all the important vitamins and minerals that the grains possess.

Once you understand the nutritional properties of whole grains it becomes much easier to understand why choosing Venerdi products is so good for you!

Venerdi Ingredients

At Venerdi Ltd. we are constantly endeavouring to source ingredients that are better for your health and your body. Our ingredients are sourced within New Zealand where possible although sometimes there are supply limitations for organic ingredients.

Venerdi Flours

Gluten Free

Organic Brown Rice Flour

Our organic brown rice flour is ground from unpolished rice kernels. As only the husk is removed, the bran and the germ remain intact. Dealing only in gluten free grains, our brown rice flour is produced using a traditional German milling plant by Kiwiorganics at Broadlands in Tolaga Bay on the East Coast of New Zealand.

Organic Maize Flour

Our organic maize flour is traditionally milled from organic corn that is grown at Broadlands in Tolaga Bay. Adherence to the traditional process preserves the qualities of the grains and ensures that Kiwiorganics deliver us the cleanest, freshest products with the highest nutritional quality that is possible. Read more at www.kiwiorganics.co.nz

Tapioca Flour

Our organic tapioca flour comes from the dried and ground cassava root. Cassava is a tropical or subtropical plant that is high in starch and a good source of calcium and Vitamin C.

Wheat Free

Organic Rye Flour

Our organic rye flour is milled from whole rye berries and rye grass grains at Terrace Farm in Rakaia in the South Island of New Zealand. The endosperm of rye has been shown to contain more than twice as much dietary fibre as wheat.

Organic Spelt Flour

Spelt is an ancient grain that was widely consumed prior to the wheat cultivar being identified as easier to grow and process. Spelt may not cause sensitivity in people with wheat intolerance. Spelt is a great source of B vitamins and magnesium.

Venerdi Seeds

Seeds are a good source of plant protein. Eaten in combination they can provide you with a source of complete vegetable protein. Seeds also provide sources of essential polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that must be sourced from the diet. They are a great source of Vitamin E that is important for antioxidant defence and like grains; seeds contain dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and plant sterols.

Sunflower seeds are very rich in Vitamin E and linoleic acid, an essential omega 6 polyunsaturated fat.

Poppy seeds come from the poppy seed flower pod. They are high in calcium and magnesium.

At Venerdi we source our flaxseed fibre from Functional Whole Foods located in Geraldine in the South Island of New Zealand.

The flax fibre is made up of certified organic finely ground flax seed meal. Flaxseed is high in precious alpha linolenic acid, an essential omega 3 polyunsaturated fat. It acts as a somewhat efficient precursor of longer chain omega 3 fatty acids. It is incorporated into your cell membranes where it modulates your cell membrane composition and your inflammatory response.

The production process for the fibre involves low temperature cold pressing of the flaxseed oil and then cold milling to produce the flax fibre or flax flour which we use in our products. This is all done with a lot of care to minimise the potential damage to the nutritional quality of the fibre which can be caused by exposure to light and oxygen.

Pumpkin seeds are the richest plant source of zinc. They are also high in linoleic acid, Vitamin E and plant sterols that can inhibit cholesterol uptake.

Sesame seeds are high in monounsaturated fats. They too contain plant sterols so may help to reduce your cholesterol absorption.

Buckwheat is classified as a seed but is used like a grain. Gluten free, it is high in B vitamins, calcium magnesium and iron.

Quinoa is an ancient grain that is easily digested. It is classified as a complete protein because it contains all of the essential amino acids. Another gluten free seed that is treated like a grain, it is high in magnesium and iron.

The Venerdi Gluten Free Six Seeds loaf contains 8% seeds and the Venerdi Seven Seed Sourdough from our Spelt range contains a whopping 15% seeds!

Venerdi Grains

Oats

Oats are generally eaten whole or as rolled oats. This is because oats contain beta glucans that are a form of soluble fibre and this makes the refining process very gluggy. Oats have also been shown to reduce serum cholesterol.

Venerdi Extras

Palm Oil

The use of a saturated fat to make bread is traditional when it comes to bread making. The fat keeps the dough moist and helps to retain the gases that are released during baking resulting in beautifully risen loaves.

At Venerdi we have maintained this traditional practice because our breads do not contain additives that extend shelf life. The use of a little saturated fat helps to extend the shelf life because saturated fats are less liable to oxidation. At Venerdi we believe that the traditional methods often hold the secrets to producing the best results and although we are currently investigating alternatives we have not as yet come up with an unsaturated fat solution that does not compromise the quality of our products.

The saturated fat content in our gluten free and spelt ranges average 7% and 3% respectively. In New Zealand it is recommended that saturated fat intake does not exceed 12% of your dietary intake.

Palm Oil production

Venerdi trusts that is not necessary to destroy rainforests to grow palm trees and only uses Palm Oil that is sourced from South American certified organic growers. The growers are all members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) who to the very best of our knowledge are compliant with the RSPO criteria and committed to sustaining the rainforests.

Please read more at www.rspo.org

Sea Salt

Our totally natural sea salt is sourced from Lake Grassmere in the Marlborough region of the South Island of New Zealand. The salt comes from the great southern oceans surrounding New Zealand and contains high levels of calcium and magnesium. At the end of each summer the salt is harvested using only the sun and the wind to ensure that all of the sea minerals are retained. Salt is required for many important physiological functions including blood pressure regulation and nerve and muscle function.