Flour-milling and ingredient company Ardent Mills has entered into an agreement with Armour Specialty Marketing to produce and sell Ultragrain Pasta into the foodservice and food manufacturing channels.
Ultragrain Pasta will be available from Armour Specialty Marketing in six classic shapes: spaghetti, rotini, penne, elbows, lasagna and egg noodles.
Ardent Mills said that Ultragrain Pasta is ideal for foodservice companies and food manufacturers looking to increase whole grain nutrition compromising on the taste and texture associated with traditional semolina pasta.
Ardent Mills marketing director Don Trouba said: “Ultragrain Pasta is made with a blend of semolina and Ardent Mills' Ultragrain whole wheat flour, which has the taste, texture and appearance benefits of white flour, and is ideal for making a pasta that cooks up with the light color, smooth texture and al dente bite of traditional pasta preferred by consumers.”
According to the company, Ultragrain Pasta can also be used to replace existing whole wheat pastas to improve consumer appeal.
The wheat varieties used to make Ultragrain are sourced from farmers who take part in the the company’s Ultragrain Grower Program.
The program supports family farmers by paying them a premium above market prices of wheat.
Armour Sales Manager Kristel Halbert said: "Ultragrain Pasta is a wonderful addition to our specialty food portfolio. We look forward to providing school districts, foodservice and food manufacturing companies a superior quality whole grain pasta.
“Close relationships with our customers and a passion for our products are the foundation of the Armour business. Ardent Mills' Ultragrain® brand makes our mission that much easier.”
Based in Grand Prairie, Texas, Armour currently has 11 distribution points throughout the US and exports products to Mexico and Puerto Rico. It owns line of specialty commercial oils and shortenings.
Headquartered in Denver, Ardent Mills has over 40 flour mills and bakery-mix facilities along with a specialty bakery and Mobile Innovation Center, all located in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.
In September, it finalized a deal to acquire Mondelez Canada flour mill in Mississauga, Ontario.
