Seeds and grains:
our core expertise
Sourcing seeds and grains and providing you with levers to set your products apart:
that is the mission that has been driving family-run business FLANQUART for the past 30 years.
From field to industry,
a family adventure
In the early 1990s, Marie-Laetitia and Olivier Dusaussoy were farmers. They were in the front line when it came to dealing with the realities facing farmers in terms of adding value to their produce under optimal conditions. Having decided to give up farming and have a change of direction, they bought a grain mill in Courrières: the FLANQUART company, a strategy nourished by a family tradition of entrepreneurship.
Marie-Laetitia and Olivier quickly developed the company’s business with a focus on human nutrition. From crispbreads, crackers, biscuits, bakery products and pastries to milling, it was the baked goods and pastry-making industry that got the business off the ground. Since then, they have diversified their targets to include the chocolate-making, ice-cream making and industrial delicatessen sectors, working with more and more operators.
Drawing on their experience as farmers, they have formalised their strategy and their objectives:
- Creating relationships based on shared high standards and trust between the primary agricultural and secondary industrial sectors;
- Promoting the use of seeds, grains and their derivatives in food industry formulations.
In 2007, their son Gatien joined the business. The baton was passed in 2019 when he took over at the helm of the company. Driven by the values passed down to him by his parents, Gatien Dusaussoy set FLANQUART on a path to growth, developing to meet the demands and challenges of tomorrow’s food industry.
A specialist
in the seeds and grains market
FLANQUART’s expertise lies first and foremost in sourcing and selecting the right variety of seed or grain for the function or application required.
Organoleptic qualities differ depending on the specific characteristics of a region. The flavour intensity in the finished product may vary, for example, depending on how it is used in a recipe for a ready meal or in a pastry. This variety/local conditions factor also needs to be taken into account for specifications in terms of fibre content and fatty acid profile. The selection process is supported by knowledge of farming methods and the risks inherent to certain geographical origins, to ensure efficient quality control.
A number of seeds and grains are grown all over the world. To reduce the carbon footprint of its references, FLANQUART identifies producers as close as possible to the European market. It is partly with this in mind that FLANQUART has developed French and European sources for seeds and grains that can be grown in our climate.
Securing sources
and developing French supply chains
FLANQUART has been working with some of its suppliers for more than 25 years. It is able to guarantee a constant supply of produce meeting the strictest food safety requirements.
We carry out regular on-site audits to check the food safety and hygiene conditions, logistical capacity and human skills of our suppliers.
In France, FLANQUART works directly with farmers. The agricultural background of the Dusaussoys has enabled them to create a network of French producers. For 30 years, millet, flaxseed and poppy seeds have been cultivated in Central France by a farmer’s group. Since 2020, FLANQUART has been developing a poppy seed supply in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The strategy is to contractually guarantee the purchase price of the seeds. This contract, drawn up before planting, ensures a reliable income for growers.
Thanks to a participative approach to reinforce expertise in terms of farming practices, FLANQUART now works with around fifty farms growing selected varieties of brown and golden flaxseed, poppy seeds and millet.
Developing clean ingredients derived from seeds and grains, to help you innovate
To meet the food challenges of the future, FLANQUART invites you to rethink the way you use seeds and grains. Currently used mainly as toppings and inclusions, seeds and grains actually offer a multitude of technical and functional properties.
Thickeners, texturizing agents, gelling agents, binders, improving agents and stabilisers: FLANQUART develops ingredients from raw seeds and grains using simple, controlled processes that respect the raw materials, the people that produce them and the people that consume them.
FLANQUART’s experience and expertise are now reflected in a range of seed and grain flours and pastes.
Partially or completely replacing the use of egg products, eliminating food additives and reducing the list of ingredients, developing vegan or gluten-free products, finding alternative colouring agents, and innovating in terms of taste: these are some of the promises made by FLANQUART ingredients.
This approach, introduced around ten years ago, meets a market demand for clean ingredients and plant-based foods, and offers innovative ideas and solutions.
Food safety, an essential requirement
The Annezin site in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France has a surface area of 7,000 m2. The site aims to offer more technologies and services, but also to guarantee compliance with food safety standards. These are increasingly restrictive and change very quickly. We are vigilant and proactive.
We have the essential certifications required for the food market. Traceability, allergen management, analyses and control plans are our strengths, much appreciated by our customers.
1992
Acquisition of a grain mill in Courrières (in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France).
1996
Development of a new business focusing on seeds and grains for human nutrition. New customers and new requirements of food industry players.
1998
Factory moves 40 km, to Marles-les-Mines. New production facilities (cleaning, sorting, mixing, packaging). New activities, such as hulling, toasting and microbial decontamination. End of grain milling activity.
2003
Factory moves again, to Annezin 10 km away. New building with a surface area of over 3,000 m².
2006
Investment in installations for: caramelisation, toasting and salting. Transformation into pastes or flours.
2015
Creation of a Gluten Free range.
2017
Extension of our factory (storage and production). Creation of dedicated spaces for each production unit (isolation of allergenic substances and gluten free), 7,300 m².
2019
Gatien takes over from his parents and becomes CEO of FLANQUART.
2022
Development of functional ingredients from seeds and grains.
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