What we trade · 03
Grains, pulses and seed oils for processors and grocery.
Bulk grains, pseudo-grains, pulses and seed oils for food manufacturers and packers, and retail packs for grocery and ethnic retailers. We source to specification, check the documents and negotiate supply.
Bulk grains and pulses, bought on specification
Grains, pulses and oils are traded on specification and margins are thin at every step, so details decide the deal: moisture, protein, foreign matter, oil quality, packaging and freight. A cheaper offer at origin can cost more once it reaches your warehouse.
We help buyers find producers that can deliver consistent quality across a season, compare offers on a landed-cost basis and agree terms that hold. For producers, we prepare product information for importers, packers and manufacturers in the US, UK and EU. This is one of the categories the Functional Brands Group team has worked in.
What we supply
Typical products we can source or represent:
Cereal grains and flakes
oats (groats, rolled oats, flakes and oat flour), barley, rye, corn, spelt and specialty flours
Pseudo-grains and small grains
buckwheat groats and flour, quinoa, amaranth and millet
Pulses
green and red lentils, chickpeas, split peas and dried beans
Pulse ingredients
pulse flours and plant proteins for manufacturing
Seed oils
sunflower oil (refined, crude and high-oleic), rapeseed (canola) oil, flaxseed, pumpkin seed and sesame oils, including cold-pressed oils
Retail and private label
packed oats, grains and pulses, and oils in PET or glass bottles
Which formats and specifications do buyers ask for?
Dry goods ship in bulk bags, multiwall paper or woven bags and container liners. Bulk oil ships in flexitanks, totes and drums. Retail and foodservice product ships in bags, boxes, bottles and foodservice packs.
Parameters we check:
- Grains: moisture, protein, test weight, foreign matter and admixture
- Pulses: size, color, splits and broken grains, cooking quality
- Gluten: status and cross-contact controls, including for gluten-free oats
- Contaminants: mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON) and ochratoxin A; pesticide residues, including glyphosate where buyers request it
- Oils: free fatty acids, peroxide value, fatty-acid profile, color, moisture and impurities, refining stage, and process contaminants such as 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in refined oils
- Status and certificates: non-GMO or organic where specified; food safety certification, kosher or halal where required
- Packaging: shelf life and storage conditions
Who buys grains, pulses and seed oils?
- Cereal, bakery and snack manufacturers
- Packers and private-label suppliers
- Plant-based and protein ingredient users
- Oil packers and bottlers
- Foodservice distributors
- Ethnic and natural grocery distributors and retailers
Quality and compliance checks
- US entry: the producer's FDA food facility registration where required, prior notice for each shipment, and supplier documents for the importer's FSVP.
- Gluten-free claims: US, UK and EU rules tie gluten-free claims to a maximum gluten level. We ask for test results and cross-contact controls before oats are offered as gluten-free.
- Allergens: wheat, soy and sesame are major food allergens in the US. In the UK and EU, cereals containing gluten, soy, sesame, mustard and lupin must be emphasized in the ingredients list.
- Plant health: some grains, pulses and seeds need phytosanitary certificates or treatment records. We confirm what applies to the product and origin.
- Oil labels: descriptors such as "cold-pressed" or "high oleic" are checked against the specification and the rules of the market.
This is a checklist, not legal advice. We work alongside licensed customs brokers and regulatory consultants. See ingredient sourcing and brokerage and negotiation.
Questions
Can you source gluten-free oats?
Yes, where producers grow and process oats under controls that keep wheat, barley and rye out. We ask for gluten test results for each lot and evidence of cross-contact controls from field to packing, because gluten-free claims in the US, UK and EU are tied to a maximum gluten level. Without both, the oats are offered as standard.
Do you supply sunflower oil in bulk and retail formats?
We can source refined, crude and high-oleic sunflower oil and other seed oils in flexitanks, totes and drums for manufacturers and bottlers, and in retail bottles for grocery and private label. We check free fatty acids, peroxide value and fatty-acid profile on the certificate of analysis against your specification before an offer goes out.
How do you compare offers from different origins?
On a landed-cost basis rather than the price at origin. We add freight, insurance, duty, port and customs costs, warehousing and inland delivery, using quotes from logistics partners and a licensed customs broker. That shows which offer costs less delivered to your warehouse, and which assumptions each one depends on.