How do we ensure our oats are gluten free?
Let's celebrate Coeliac Awareness Week by taking a closer look at how gluten-free oats are made, straight from the perspective of a producer!
Meet Kevin, the amazing founder and CEO of The Merry Mill! Kevin is a skilled individual with a wide range of talents, but today we want to highlight his expertise in organic farming and growing oats. Before starting The Merry Mill, Kevin used to grow organic oats for livestock on his farm. However, after two of his nieces were diagnosed with coeliac disease, he was inspired to create gluten-free organic oats for humans. Unfortunately, no other mill in Ireland was processing organic gluten free oats, so he took matters into his own hands and built a purpose-built micro mill on his organic farm!
How do you ensure The Merry Mill Oats are gluten free?
In the field
The Merry Mill Oats are grown on the Scully’s family farm in Vicarstown, Co. Laois Ireland. They sow pure oats ensuring the grain is clean and free of any rogue grains before planting it in the soil.
During the growing process in organic farming no chemicals, artificial fertilizers or spray are used. Therefore the Scully family walk the fields to hand pull rogue grains. This ensures no rogue grains containing gluten are harvested with the oats.
The harvest takes place in August. During the harvest The Merry Mill use their own machinery including combine harvesters and trailers that only handle organic gluten free oats.
In the mill
The Scully family have built Ireland's first organic gluten-free oat mill on their farm in County Laois, where they process their oats into nutritious oat flakes and flour.
The mill specializes in milling organic gluten-free oats only, ensuring that there is no possibility of gluten cross-contamination.
The Merry Mill oats undergo regular batch testing for gluten by an external laboratory, and consistently test below 5ppm (parts per million). To be sold as gluten-free in Ireland, a product must test below 20ppm, so the Merry Mill oats exceed the standard.
The Merry Mill Oats are grown, harvested and packed on the Scully’s farm. They deliver direct to customers nationwide.
Top Tips : Shopping for gluten free oats!
Look for the "gluten-free" symbol: Oat brands that are gluten free include a "gluten-free" label on their packaging, indicating that the oats have been processed in a way that eliminates any cross-contamination with gluten-containing grains.
If the packaging does not state it is gluten free, cross contamination of oats with grains such as wheat, barley, or rye is likely. If you have gluten sensitivities make sure you are eating oats labeled gluten free.
