Oat milk is made by blending and straining steel-cut or whole groats that have been soaked in water. It can be prepared at home or manufactured commercially with large machines. Oats absorb water more readily than nuts do, therefore, when sufficiently mixed, more of the nutrients themselves pass through the filtration process, giving the finished product a creamier texture than nut milk.
When given, oat milk is a popular alternative to other non-dairy milk like almond, coconut, and soy and is the newest player in the market. It appears to be a workable replacement for persons who are lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy. It also shows that it is a sustainable, dairy-free milk alternative that is friendly to the environment. The fundamental distinction of the dairy sector in India is that it is still largely unorganised. By emitting gases like methane and carbon dioxide, animals contribute to climate change; nevertheless, the changing environment has a detrimental effect on the development and reproduction of cattle.
Dairy contributes 2.9% of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Dairy production is known to significantly contribute to soil erosion and deforestation, as well as air and water pollution.
Developing, Gathering, and Dehusking
To create oat milk, oats, a cereal grain, are first grown in a field. After being produced and harvested, these oats must be processed in order to be turned into milk. After basic cleaning, the removal of the husk from the grains is the most important preparation step. Because the husk is hard and inedible to humans, it is not used to make milk. After the husk is removed, a firm grain kernel is left.
After that, oats are typically blanched or treated with hot steam. During this, the oats are exposed to intense heat. This renders inactive all oat enzymes. The oats might spoil more quickly without these enzymes. A good example of this is the high lipid (fat) content of oats. Oat lipases, which can break them down, will eventually cause the oats to turn rancid. Deactivating the oats will allow for longer storage.
Now that the oats have been processed, oat milk can be made from them. As well as being rolled into flakier, flat pieces (rolled oats), the oats can be ground into flour.
The process of hydrolyzing complex carbohydrates (like starch) present in oats into simpler sugars like maltose involves many enzymes, such as -amylase. Because of this, oat milk has a sweeter flavour than oats alone.
Oats contain about 50–60% starch, which becomes gelatinous when heated or blended. Enzymes that hydrolyse (i.e., break down) starch help produce a smoother, creamier texture than if you were to just combine oats with water.
Long strands of glucose molecules make up starch. It is a kind of carbohydrate that is quite huge. Amylases break these lengthy chains of glucose molecules into shorter chains or even single glucose (and thus sugar) molecules. You're left with a mixture of different-sized carbohydrates after the enzymatic treatment, including a lot of sugars and maltodextrins.
The types of enzymes utilised by the manufacturer, the ambient temperature, and the pH level of the liquid all affect how much of each is present. By managing this process, you can adjust the sweetness and thickness of oat milk.
Adding additives to improve shelf life, texture, and flavour
Ingredients are added at this stage of the procedure for taste, texture, and aesthetic reasons. Vegetable oil is the most often used additive. Triglycerides (fats) are liquid at room temperature, resulting in a creamier beverage, making it especially crucial for the production of oat milk. Additionally, salt is frequently added since it brings out the oat milk's sweet and natural flavour. Some oat milk manufacturers fortify and create a plant-based beverage that is more nutritionally complete by adding calcium or vitamins during this stage. The final step is the optional addition of substances like sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla or coffee essence, or other natural flavours.
To extend the shelf life of the finished product and eliminate any germs that may have remained in the mixture, the product is subsequently sterilised using heat treatments, such as UHT or pasteurisation. In order to ensure that the fat droplets are broken down into smaller and more homogeneous droplets, the final beverage is combined at high pressure using a "homogeniser" (basically a high-pressure, high-speed blender). This gives the milk a creamy and consistent texture without any "clumps."
Oat milk consists of more nutritional benefits as compared to dairy milk and it's versatile in nature and can be incorporated in a variety of recipes like smoothies, baking, and in your normal day-to-day tea and coffee.
Almas satisfies consumer needs by reducing costs and fusing innovation with environmental awareness. Additionally, it uses its own on-site production techniques to create all of its tailored plant-based products. We can be bold and create custom recipes thanks to a special blend of ingredient and process optimisation. Almas is still working towards its objective of balancing economic success with sustainable growth.
Environmental sustainability entails developing and organising production processes to minimise emissions and waste while conserving energy and natural resources. Almas has a track record in these areas because we've used a process-water recycling facility ever since we were established.
