Healthy nutrition is trending, so muesli, cereal bars and related products are on the rise. This benefits businesses making these kinds of products and their raw materials such as cereal flakes – businesses like Rubin Mühle GmbH in Lahr/Germany. The company offers a broad product portfolio and views the development of customer-specific products as one of its most important capabilities.

By Dr. Bernhard Reichenbach

This tradition-rich milling company has been in existence since 1352, and has been in the hands of the same family now for 14 generations since 1684. Rubin Mühle makes classic mill products and extruded products. Its mill products are based primarily on oats such as oat flakes, while additional products are made from other grain varieties and legumes. The extruded products range from pre-gelatinized flours and granulates to flakes and crispies.

The company’s supply programme includes so-called mono-products as well as packaged, consumer-ready muesli mixes. “Almost our entire product range is also available in organic quality”, notes Christopher Rubin. A technical business administration graduate and trained milling technician, Mr Rubin runs the business together with his father and uncle.

This supplier boasts a staff of over 250 qualified employees. At its two locations, one in Lahr and the operation in Plauen added in 2015, Rubin Mühle processes some 130,000 t of raw materials annually, in particular grain.

A husk and flake mill, initially separating the cereal grains from the inedible husks, is in operation at each location. The husked cereal grains can also be processed in these mills into flakes, cut into groats or polished to produce hulled wheats.

There is also a classic grain mill that processes the cereal grains into flours, coarse meals, semolina and brans, and there are nine extrusion lines, eight of which are at the company premises in Lahr. These units process starch-based and protein-based raw materials into a wide variety of extrudates such as flakes.

The production equipment also includes a mixing facility where muesli mixes are produced, along with two packaging lines where mono-products and muesli mixes tailored to customers’ specifications are packaged for sale in bags or boxes. Warehouses and silo buildings complete the facilities.

The Rubin Mühle supply programme is very broad, comprising more than 1,000 different products, including over 100 types of flakes made from wheat, rye, barley, spelt and above all oats.

Christopher Rubin explains: “In nutrition-physiological terms oats are the most high-quality grain species cultivated in Europe. The cereal grains are husked in such a gentle manner that the valuable components of the outer grain layer are preserved”. All of the company’s flakes are also available upon request with various organic seals and certificates. At present, around half of Rubin’s business revolves around flakes.

In addition, the different grain varieties are also used to make more than 100 types of special mill products. These include flours, groats, hulled wheats, whole grains and brans.

The product portfolio additionally encompasses 250 different extrudates including granulates, flakes and crispies which can differ in shape, texture, recipe or inner properties. “This makes extruded products interesting for a wide variety of applications”, says Christopher Rubin. Extrudates are responsible for around one-third of the company’s business.

The different mill products and extrudates can also be blended with other ingredients such as dried fruits. This enables Rubin Mühle’s mixing and packaging lines to create a wide variety of the broadest possible range of mueslis in accordance with customer requests and recipes.

Despite being niche products at the moment, yet another growth market for the company is comprised of all types of flours with protein made from plant-based products such as sunflower seeds, peas or soybeans. They are implemented as alternatives to animal-based proteins in vegetarian and vegan food products.

Rubin Mühle’s share of organic products has increased over recent years to approximately one-third, and the trend continues. “We are Europe’s largest processor of organic oats”, states Christopher Rubin in citing a specific example.

First-class natural raw materials are indispensable for the company’s daily work and are utterly decisive when it comes to the quality of the final products. This begins with the selection of these raw materials, constant supervision of their quality and the assurance of complete traceability. Christopher Rubin emphasises: “We select not just our raw materials with critical fastidiousness, but our suppliers as well. As a matter of principle, we only use grains from Europe. Most are even from Germany”.

The production processes are also subject to critical monitoring. Constant random sampling at all critical points is a matter of course.

Company chief Christopher Rubin explains: “As for our products, we don’t conduct any warehousing. Instead, we work exclusively on the basis of customer orders. Depending on the type of product, the minimum order quantity varies from individual palettes up to several tonnes. Anything below that would make the efforts of conducting the necessary conversion of each of the facilities too high”.

The products from Lahr and Plauen are shipped principally to customers in Europe, but also further afield around the world. The company’s key clients include suppliers of mueslis, porridges and bars, biscuit and cookie manufacturers and baking agents’ manufacturers.

Christopher Rubin explains: “In recent years, our customers have increasingly become the drivers for new product developments. Together with them, we develop innovative end products ready for the market and customized to meet their requirements in regard to factors such as shape and colour, texture, surface and sensory properties, bulk weight, granu-lation distribution or further processing”. This expansion of its range of products and services has transformed company from a traditional milling business into a modern service provider for the international food industry.

In order to ensure that the development at Rubin Mühle never comes to a standstill, Christopher Rubin makes his point clear: “Since 2014, we have invested some 25 million Euros into the company, and we intend to make further investments. In order to make sure we can continue at all times to supply our customers with top quality products, we will be expanding our production capacities to include a new extrusion line, a new line for consumer packaging as well as new silos and warehouse facilities”.