A passion for sustainable products, experimentation with technology, and identification of niche markets have proved to be the essential ingredients for an innovative new Queensland mill.
When Queensland Country Life caught up with Thomas Cunliffe this week, the enthusiasm of the Z Mills CEO for the newly commissioned mill was obvious.
Operating since late last year, the organic mill employs a contained, high-speed impact process that uses no water and 30pc less energy than do conventional mills, to produce flour from delicate seeds such as hemp, flax and buckwheat.
The 'Z' in Z Mills refers to the zero heat, zero oxygen and zero light features of the process, and the zero loss of nutrients which is produced.
Z Mills was established by the family-owned company Happy Planet, involving Thomas and his wife Michelle, his parents Pamela and Bill Singley, and a family friend.
The company originally processed hemp seed oil, but the oil extraction process left behind an oil-rich meal and the family were curious to see if this by-product had commercial value.
If the hemp meal was conventionally milled, it went rancid because of its high oil content, so a special process was required.
After researching milling techniques, Thomas and his family discovered a Beenleigh company which was trialling cool milling technology for the coal industry.
And as is often the case with great inventions, an error led to the answer.
"The mill was developed to process waste coal, but it was bolted together back-to-front. However it turned out that the resulting technique had significant benefits for the food industry," Mr Cunliffe explained.
Happy Planet purchased the technology, and completed the construction of the mill at Staplyton, Brisbane, in November 2008.
The capacity to mill 1.5 tonne an hour makes Z Mills one of the largest organically certified mills in Australia.
Mr Cunliffe said the mill's enhanced efficiencies are produced because it operates as a single moving piece.
"There are no hammers or rollers, but rather a large blade which spins the grain through the air at around 400m per second.
"The tiny seeds hit against each other in the vortex which is created, and because the product is only impacting against itself the milling process is a lot gentler than conventional methods," he explained.
The process minimises friction and heat, and therefore eliminates the enzyme reactions which cause rancidity in flour.
"The mill operates at between 4°C and 10°C, and this is critical to retaining essential oils and minerals," Mr Cunliffe explained.
"In comparison, during conventional milling, the temperature might be as high as 70°C.
"If the oil component of grains (such as wheat germ oil) is not removed before milling, it increases the rate at which the product will go rancid.
"This is because essential fats begin to break down at 38°C while proteins harden at just over 40°C.
"Vitamins and enzymes also break down around 38°C."
The enclosed mill also protects delicate seeds and grains from light and oxygen, another critical step in minimising degradation through unfavourable processes such as oxidisation, while at the same time preserving the nutritional value of the flour.
"Whole seeds can sit on a shelf for a year, but as soon as they are cracked and the core is exposed to oxygen, the breaking down process begins," Mr Cunliffe explained.
"Removing the presence of oxygen improves freshness and ensures a longer shelf-life.
"When a customer opens a bag of Z Mills product, it is the first time the flour has seen light or oxygen so it is as fresh as the day it was milled."
The biggest advantage of the process is ensuring the stability of sensitive grains which previously could not be milled without significant damage.
For example, because buckwheat flour goes rancid within minutes of milling because of its high oil component, it has traditionally been ground by consumers at home just before consumption. However, Z Mills has successfully milled buckwheat flour.
Similarly, there is an established market for flax seed oil and grape seed oil, but now the cool milling technique allows the by-products of the oil to be processed to produce a highly nutritional flour.
The by-product of hemp seed oil is also being processed at Z Mills.
Happy Planet sources hemp from Australia and New Zealand, processes it at Z Mills, then markets it in the US where it is used as a flour substitute.
"Hemp seed oil is extra rich in the Omega 3 and Omega 6, and is believed to be the only plant oil with the perfect balance between these essential fatty acids," Mr Cunliffe said.
Z Mills has also created new opportunities for the South American plant, chia.
Chia was trialled in the Ord Valley around Kununurra, WA, several years ago, and the region has now become the largest producer of chia in the world.
Last year, about 750ha of chia was grown in the region, and the majority of the Omega 3-rich and gluten free seed is currently exported to the US.
Thomas is hopeful the no oxygen/no light/low heat milling technique will help to establish a domestic market for products such as these, which conventional mills have previously avoided because of their specific requirements.
"The process allows producers to maximise the nutritional value of their product, and opens up opportunity for new food lines which can be used as a replacement for people with intolerance to more conventional varieties of flour," he said.
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