Characteristics
Form and particle size: Oval, pointed
Colour: Creamy white
Flavour: Neutral flavour of sunflower, similar to peanut depending on the preparations
Calories*: 650 kcal
Protein*: 21 g
Fat*: 55 g including 20% monounsaturated fatty acids and 65% polyunsaturated fatty acids
Fibre*: 6.5 g
Versions
- Decontaminated
- Toasted
- Caramelised
- Salted
- Bits
- Flour
- Paste
Sources: EU
Packaging: Paper bags containing 1 kg, 5 kg, 10 kg, 20 kg and 25 kg and big-bags
* on average per 100 grams of hulled grains
Sunflower seeds
Hulled sunflower seeds
The elongated shape of hulled sunflower seeds is familiar to us all. Many of us will remember enjoying them as an after-school snack. Off-white to grey in colour, they can be incorporated into breads, crispbreads and crackers or pastries. They are crunchy when you bite into them. When sunflower seeds are prepared in our dedicated production units, they bring new flavours, textures and functionalities.
Sunflowers are part of the same family as Jerusalem artichokes. You can taste similar notes to those found in these tubers when you eat sunflower seeds.
When toasted, the seeds will develop flavours that are more pronounced, although still sweet and pleasant, with notes of hazelnut and roasted nuts.
When caramelised, sunflower seeds have an original rounded and comforting flavour. In these forms, they are an interesting topping for pastries and chocolate-making. When caramelised and salted, sunflower seeds become a really delicious treat. They can be incorporated into all formulations for the different meals of the day.
Sprinkled onto a salad or cooked dish, hulled sunflower seeds are an allergen-free alternative to pine nuts, very widely used in southern recipes. They are ideal in muesli or in mixes prepared by millers for wholegrain breads. The seeds can be decontaminated in our production units to improve their microbiological characteristics.
Sunflower seeds in flour or seed paste form are an Allergen-Free Clean Ingredient. Whether it’s to replace animal fats in recipes, or as a base for dairy product alternatives, sunflower seeds are full of surprises!
We can adapt them to your needs.
Hulled sunflower seeds:
high in unsaturated fatty acids
You probably know that sunflower seeds are actually the dried fruit of the plant, called an achene. One of the advantages of hulled sunflower seeds is their high protein content. Their fat fraction, which like all oilseeds is high, contains either omega-6 or omega-9 essential fatty acids depending on the variety. They are also a source of phytosterols and antioxidants.
The seeds offer plenty of minerals too, especially calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. In terms of vitamins, they contain a significant amount of vitamin E. All these qualities mean that sunflower seeds are ideal for foods intended for sports diets.
Sunflower seeds
selected for their oil
The origins of sunflowers are still debated today. From Central America, the north-west or the extreme south of the continent, this oil plant finally crossed the Atlantic with the Spanish in the 16th century. It was in Eastern Europe that sunflower seeds were selected for the production of vegetable oil in the 19th century.
From the 1960s onwards, sunflower seeds were optimised, in particular through the work of the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) in Clermont-Ferrand. Today, the plant is grown on almost every continent, having adapted to numerous different conditions. In addition, sunflower cultivation has a lower environmental impact than many other crops (in terms of water, fertiliser and plant health treatments).
We propose two varieties of sunflower seeds that are among the most widely used in the food industry. A distinction is made between sunflowers for food applications, also known as
bakery sunflowers, and sunflowers for oil production. The difference between these two varieties relates to their fatty acid composition. Sunflower seeds for food applications have a high polyunsaturated fatty acid content, especially linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid.
Sunflower seed varieties for oil production have been selected for their high oleic acid content, an omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acid.
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