Organic Toasted Hazelnut Flour

When you pick up a bag of our Organic Chia Seeds or Red Split Lentils, you aren’t just buying ingredients; you’re buying a promise. In the UK, that promise is backed by a complex web of regulations, inspections, and certificates. But for the average shopper, the world of food safety can feel like an alphabet soup of acronyms. You might have heard of "Food Hygiene Ratings," but have you heard of SALSA? As we navigate 2026, the bar for food safety has never been higher. Here is the difference between "standard" hygiene and the gold-standard excellence we strive for. 1. The "Standard": The Local Authority Rating Most people are familiar with the green-and-black "window stickers" found on high-street cafes and takeaways. This is the Environmental Health Office (EHO) rating, which scales from 0 to 5. What it covers: Basic cleanliness, structural integrity of the building, and cross-contamination prevention. The Reality: While a 5-star rating is essential, it is often a "snapshot" in time based on a local council visit. It is the baseline requirement for any food business in the UK, but for a major supplier of whole foods, it is only the beginning. 2. What is SALSA? (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) For specialist producers and larger-scale suppliers like Whole Food Earth, the standard EHO visit isn't enough. We go through SALSA. SALSA is a robust food safety certification scheme specifically designed for the UK’s best small and medium-sized food producers. It is recognized by the UK’s leading retailers (including the likes of Waitrose and Sainsbury's) as a mark of superior quality. How SALSA differs from a standard inspection: Traceability: SALSA requires us to prove exactly where every single grain came from. If we have a bag of Organic Almonds, we can trace them back to the specific farm and harvest date. HACCP Rigour: We must implement a "Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point" (HACCP) plan. This is a scientific system that identifies every possible risk—from a microscopic dust particle to a temperature fluctuation—and builds a fail-safe to prevent it. Annual Audits: Unlike standard inspections which can be years apart, SALSA requires a rigorous annual audit by a highly qualified food safety expert. 3. Why This Matters in 2026 Food safety in 2026 isn't just about "washing your hands." It’s about Data and Integrity. The Battle Against Food Fraud In a global supply chain, "food fraud" (where high-quality ingredients are swapped for cheaper fillers) is a growing concern. SALSA standards ensure that when we say a product is 100% Organic, we have the forensic paperwork to prove it. Allergen Management With the UK's strict "Natasha’s Law" now fully embedded in our food culture, managing allergens like nuts and gluten requires pharmaceutical-grade precision. SALSA-certified facilities must demonstrate total control over cross-contamination to keep our customers safe. Sustainability and Hygiene Modern hygiene standards now also look at sustainability. SALSA encourages efficient waste management and responsible sourcing, ensuring that a "clean" facility also means a "green" facility. 4. Peek Behind the Curtain: The Whole Food Earth Promise At Whole Food Earth, we don't just meet the standard; we aim to set it. Our commitment to SALSA principles means: Strict Supplier Approval: We only work with farmers who share our obsession with purity. Regular Testing: We batch-test our products to ensure they are free from contaminants and meet our high nutritional profiles. Continuous Improvement: We don't just pass an audit and forget about it; our team is constantly refining our processes to stay ahead of UK regulations. The Bottom Line When you see a SALSA-certified producer, you are looking at a business that has chosen to be scrutinised. In 2026, "Food Hygiene" is no longer just about a clean floor; it’s about a transparent soul. By choosing SALSA-standard products, you are supporting a food system that prioritises your health, your safety, and the integrity of the British pantry. Trust the process. Taste the purity. Explore our Certified Organic Range here.

Oat Flour Oats are a versatile ingredient used in cooking and baking. Oats are a filling addition to meals and a great pick for sweet and savoury dishes. When using oats as an alternative for gluten- induced flour, it comes with plenty of positives. Oat flour is a common supermarket flour, with organic options in farm shops and whole food shops. However, oat flour is fairly easy to make at home with the right equipment. If you have a bag of ground oats and an electric blender at home, you are three quarters of the way there already. Oat flour is a great alternative for plain flour as it has a soft and fluffy cake texture, like the consistency of most cakes. Oat flour will rise slightly on its own, but needs an addition of baking soda for high-rise recipes like bread, scones, and cakes. With its fluffy texture, oat flour can make some great sweet or savoury recipes. For all the sweet tooth bakers here are some simple yet effective ideas: Oat flour in your crumble recipe can transform the dessert to include a gluten-free crumble topping with a sweet, toasted flavour on top of the tasty baked fruit choice. For the bakers with a preference on texture, oat flour can give you chewy, crispy cookies, taking you back in time to the 19th century when they first became a hit. Oat muffins and oat pancakes are a great new breakfast choice. Incorporating fresh fruit, yoghurt, and some chocolate chips for extra sweetness. When considering the common ‘full’ effect oats have, oat protein balls are a great snack to include in your everyday diet. Buckwheat Flour Deriving from the Buckwheat grain, this flour is nutrient rich with plenty of health benefits to help with your physical diet. Filled with fibre, buckwheat flour is great for most savoury dishes and some sweet ones also. Buckwheat flour has a distinct earthy and nutty taste and to some people's opinion can have a bitter aftertaste. Buckwheat, alike oats, have a great filling effect. This flour is a great option to use for satisfying breakfasts and lunches to keep you fuller for longer. The grain itself is a great alternative to quinoa, flax, amaranth, and polenta. However, when converted to a flour, Buckwheat is great to make rice and noodles. By mixing the dark flour with herbs and eggs. You can make plenty of tasty pastas. Despite its distinct taste, Buckwheat can be used in sweet bakes. Its earthy and nutty flavours work extremely well with Banana. So, pancakes, muffins and cakes with banana, peanut butter and dark chocolate are a must for the sweet tooth trials for this flour. Note to self: Be careful with allergens when considering Buckwheat an ingredient. Though it does not affect celiacs, it is a pseudo cereal, so any intolerances to grain should be examined. Sorghum Flour Another pseudo grain to add to this list is Sorghum. Also known as ‘Jowar’ flour, Sorghum flour is an extremely popular gluten-free flour in the baking world, as it has a lovely, sweet taste. Sorghum has a low elasticity and is an exceptionally light and fluffy flour, so the simpler the recipe, the better. Similarly to Oats and Buckwheat, Sorghum flour wheat is a great flour to use in pancakes and porridges. Mixed with a starch to kick awake the raising element, Sorghum can be used to make sourdough breads, pizza bases, cakes and muffins. When thinking about its natural sweetness, Sorghum can be a great ingredient for sweet sauces in lots of puddings and desserts. It works particularly well in baked sauces (in dishes with chocolate, cinnamon, tart fruit, and syrups) highlighting its sweet touch. Be careful how much Sorghum you use at a time, as it can have a bitter aftertaste when used in significant quantities. Teff Flour This Ethiopian food source has been an extremely popular grain for centuries. This staple grain was converted into a flour and is now used for recipes that are sweet and savoury. Teff flour has underlying nutty flavour, it has great sources of fibre, minerals and vitamins too. Take note- Teff does absorb lots of water when being cooked, so look at for those water ratios in your recipes, you may need to replace some liquids! Teff flour can make some great meals including: pancakes, pizza crusts, waffles, fritters, porridge, cookies, and muffins. As a grain alone you can add teff into salads, falafels, roasted vegetable plates, and veggie burgers. Since the teff grain derives from Ethiopia, why not try and make the traditional teff flatbread called ‘Injera.’ Amaranth Flour Another pseudo-grain to consider is Amaranth. This flour comes from grinding the seeds from the Amaranth plant. This grain is similar to Quinoa. Amaranth flour has a rich nutrient count with minerals such as: Iron, magnesium and calcium. Amaranth is also high in protein, therefore giving its state a strong structure for meals. The naturally earthy/nutty flavouring this flour makes it perfect for bread-based meals. Tortillas, pizza bases, pizza crusts, savoury pancakes flatbreads and nutty bread. Amaranth gives a dense texture so have a think when you are pairing it with other foods. Rice Flour Rice and rice flour is a very popular option for gluten-free cooking as well as in Asian cuisines. This flour has a light texture, and mild natural flavouring, making it perfect for cooking, baking, frying and roasting. There are two types of flour (white and brown) that differ in colour and texture. White rice flour is perfect for baking as it has a lighter texture. Brown rice flour is whole grain and can be used in more savoury meals because of its coarse but hearty texture. In Asian tradition, rice flour is predominantly used to make noodles, pastas and dumplings. However, it is also commonly used in sauces and stews as a thickening agent. Similar to the lists seen throughout this article, rice flour can be used in most meals. With its lighter texture it is popular to mix and match it with other gluten-free flours to balance out texture for more specific meals in baking. Uniquely, rice flour also makes for a great frying batter! Whether is frying meats, sea food or adding crispness to your carbs and vegetables, rice flour can do it all. Take note- Rice flour is high in carbohydrates rather than proteins, so if you count your calories, its best you take this into consideration if rice flour becomes an essential part of your diet. Almond Flour Created by blending blanched almonds, this flour is a great healthy alternative for many wheat flours. Almonds are a super-food nut with so many benefits to help the human body. To name a few: monounsaturated fats, omega-9 fatty acids, plant-based proteins, fibres, low-glycaemic index, calcium, iron, magnesium and Vitamin E. These nutrients and minerals are great for keeping cardiovascular issues at bay, keeping your blood sugar levels normal and improving your digestive health. Almond flour has a soft, light texture and a naturally sweet/nut flavouring, therefore, making it perfect for baked goods. Pancakes, cookies, brownies, banana bread, muffins, fruit bars, cakes and cinnamon rolls, this flour ticks boxes for a variety of dietary requirements. Almond flour can be great for those with gluten intolerances, celiac disease, or for those on a Keto/Paleo diet. Almonds are a type of nut, so this flour is not suitable for those with a nut allergy. Potato Flour Potato flour is used with whole potatoes that are dehydrated and ground to make a fine powder. This is not to be confused with Potato Starch, which uses extracted potato starch. Potato flour can make some well-structured meals with a satisfying texture: Pancakes, muffins, banana bread, dumplings, pizza dough, cakes and gravies. Potato flour is amazing for retaining moisture, preventing meals from going dry, crumbly and going off quicker. This ability is all because of its high starch content. The starch (80-85%) creates great thickening and binding properties for foods. This flour has some essential nutrients and minerals to support the body: Iron, potassium and vitamins C and B. These minerals work hand-in hand to help support the muscles, immune system and energy levels. Potato flour is high in energy, so it is a great pick for a meal that will keep you going for a long-time. However, potato flour tends to be high in carbohydrates rather than proteins, so if you count your calories, its best you take this into consideration if it becomes an essential part of your diet. When searching for the best gluten-free flours for baking and cooking always look out for the organic options in local farm shops and even whole foods online store. Take note: Though the flours above are gluten-free be careful to check that the rest of your ingredients are gluten-free too.

How is Potato Starch Made? Potatoes are well known for their healthy carbohydrates. Also known as ‘Starch’ (Polysaccharide), this side of a raw potato can be turned into a completely different ingredient. ‘Potato Starch’ is extracted from crushed, raw potatoes. The starch grain is released from the destroyed cells and either separated through a hydro-cyclone or dried out on its own as a solution. After this process, the once potatoes, become a white, powdery potato flour, full of spherical granules. Is Potato Starch Gluten-Free? Since potatoes are a root vegetable, organic potato starch is naturally gluten-free. Gluten is a protein found in the wheat plant and other types of grain, meaning they have no connection to one another. Those who suffer from ‘Coeliac’ disease, or choose to live a gluten-free diet can use potato starch as a wheat-free flour in lots of cooking recipes. How Does Potato Starch Work? Potato Starch in general, is used to make things like- pasta, bread, tortillas, pastries, noodles, and cereal grains. However, it has other uses too. The ingredient can be used as a thickener (sauces, soups, stews, and desserts) as well as a creamy batter for frying and baking sweet and savoury foods. Paste- Thickening Agent You can easily make wet potato starch at home. To use potato starch as a thickener, you start by dissolving your starch granules in cold water. This will allow your starch to become a smooth gel when it is gelatinised. NOTE: Not dispersing the starch in cold water at the start of your cooking could leave you with a clumpy gel as your overall thickener. After leaving the particles in cold water, you can heat them up in hot water, or whatever liquid you are cooking at that point in time. Potato starch has a better water-capacity (great for doughs) than its contender- Cornstarch. Potato Starch leaves you with a gel that is more translucent, silkier, and has a more neutral flavouring compared to corn. However, this starch has a lower gelatinization temperature, so it thickens quicker when it is hotter. NOTE: Keep an eye on your heat, if the temperature is too hot for too long, the potato starch will not absorb the water properly and its binding effect will be ineffective. Leave thickening to the end of your cooking so it has a perfect short period of heat. Crispiness In baking and frying, less is more. Adding potato starch gradually to your cooking will allow for a good structure and smooth texture overall. Adding too much too quickly (or too much in general) will give the starch a very crumbly texture, making its connectivity rubbish! It has been said that potato starch is better than cornstarch for frying, as it gives you a crispier result and for longer too. You can use the starch outright in your frying and baking, or you can make a creamy batter with it too. Potato Starch Uses As well as using potato starch in our everyday cooking, it can be used in other departments too. In the everyday food industry, potato starch is found in canned soups, savoury sauces, pie fillings, and even mayonnaise. They are a great additive to dishes that are refrigerated or frozen because it stops the meals from separating when they are chilled and cooked. Within the sweet world, potato starch is becoming a new hit for plant-based sugar confectionaries. Its excellent gelatinization properties work well in commercialised desserts like- custard, puddings, mousse, pastry, and cakes. It is seen as sustainable and more appealing by customers as it is gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan. Potato Starch vs Potato Flour Now that we know specifically what Potato Starch is, it is important to know the difference between that, and Potato Flour. Though they may look similar there are clear differences. Potato starch is made by crushing potatoes, activating the starch grain, before then drying out the remaining potato into small granules. Potato flour involves removing the skin, mashing them, drying them out, blending them and then keeping them in an air tight container. A main difference between the two, is that potato starch is simply ‘Starch’ extracted from the potatoes. Whereas Potato Flour is flour made from whole potatoes. Potato flour has a higher number of proteins, carbohydrates, fibre, and nutrients because it is made from the vegetable itself. With potato starch only being an extract, it contains less health benefits. Where Can You Buy Potato Starch? When looking to buy this ingredient, Potato Starch can be found in most supermarkets. You have to look for them in substitute/alternative food aisles, or the baking section, but many shops sell the starch product. If you are looking for a definite seller- flour shops, whole food shops, healthy food shops, and farm shops should sell potato starch, specifically organic potato starch. Another option is looking for healthy food online, through baking ingredient suppliers. These shops tend to have more options for ingredients and sell them in bigger bulks. This can be helpful if you are planning to create lots of potato starch recipes, or just want to invest in gluten-free potato starch for its wheat-free aspect.