La Mandorle: Innovations with almond milk

A small firm in Paris has set about revolutionizing the market for plant based milk. They have already conquered the market in France with new products. The production process has been patent-registered. The main target group is allergy sufferers who have an intolerance to gluten or cow’s milk and are looking to supplement or find an alternative to soya. But sportsmen and women, nutrition-conscious older people and children are target groups too.
(Picture: Patricia Collino/Marketing and second-in-command Guillaume Vannier)
The almond powder ist produced in a patented procedure by physical withdrawal of the almond oil. It is therefore rich in protein, fiber and minerals. A soft heating improves the resorption in the digestion process and gives access to the nutrients. Apart from almond milk in liquid or powder form, an almond milk cream was recently put on the market that can be used like sweet cream. 40,000 to 50,000 kg of almonds per year from Italy and Spain are already being processed into nearly two dozen products that are sold exclusively via the specialist wholefood trade. (Picture: Production of powdered almonds)

The firm La Mandorle (derived from amande, French for almond) was taken over in 1991, two years after it was founded, by Arnaud Vannier. In those days they only imported almond spread from Spain. Then, in 1995, they added powdered almonds. 1999 and 2000 saw the complete restructuring of the company, and they started sourcing most of their raw materials from Sicily. To ensure products were of consistently high quality, instead of having the almonds processed in Spain, they started processing in France. The French ministry of research had helped Vannier to develop new processing techniques, which have been patent-registered.

Since then, the patented production of almond spreads and powdered almond has been contracted out to a processor of pastes in Amiens. Another company in Orleans to the south of Paris processes some of the powder into liquid almond milk and packages it in 1 l and 250 ml Tetrapaks. “To preserve as many nutrients as possible, when the almond milk is being packaged, we extend its life not by means of a plate heater (at around 130°C) but by treating the product with steam, which has a far more beneficial outcome,“ explains Guillaume Vannier, the son of the founder. Not long ago the company build a new factory in Sablé sur Sarthe near the Loire Valley.
(Picture: La Mandorle factory in Sablé sur Sarthe)

"You need 500 g of almonds to produce the content for on 400 g box of powder. This is why there is a high degree of nutrients in our products, produces according to our patented process," explains nutrition scientist Patricia Collino. “But it turned out to be a complete success,“ as Guillaume Vannier, who is in charge of marketing in the company, is pleased to report. The recipe includes rice syrup, with the rice coming from Italy as well as acacia fibres. They are produced as milk sap in Africa and are a prebiotic supplement for the digestion.   

Pressing the ground almonds produces a high-value almond oil that is not only good on salads but can also be used in the natural cosmetics industry. By removing the oil the proportion of nutrients rises significantly, so that a 5-percent almond milk has the same level of nutrients as 9-percent almonds. The oil from the first pressing is similar to olive oil rich in the vitamins A and E.
(Picture: At Natexpo 2011 in Paris, La Mandorle received an award for its powdered almond milk)

Powdered almond forms the basis of product variants for breakfast - with and without nuts – and you can use the powder as, for example, a basic ingredient when you mix your early morning muesli. Almond and hazel nut spreads for breakfast are also on sale. Together with a manufacturer of organic blancmange powder, a vanilla, coconut and a chocolate blancmange powder with an almond base has been developed. Thus, La Mandorle’s product range includes powdered chestnut, hazelnut and coconut, as well an almond milk specially for children that is enriched with fish oil as an improved source of omega 3 fatty acids, almond cream spread and almond oil. The chestnuts are sourced from one of the major cropping regions in France, namely the Ardèche.

La Mandorle’s best selling products are the almond milk powder enriched with natural calcium and omega 3 fatty acids and the ready-to-drink almond milk in litre packs. For the blend of the instant drinks you have to count 2 -3 teespoons for a 250 ml jar. A 440 g pack is sufficient for around 4 - 5 litres of the mixed drink. Some of the instant powders are also available in an 800 g packaging. (Picture on right: almond milk powder)

With La Mandorle’s products available in practically every specialist wholefood store and organic supermarket across the whole of France, this small but exquisite company is forging ahead in Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Spain and South Africa. However, only 10 % of production goes abroad. The only way to buy these products in Germany at the moment is via Blauer Planet on the internet. The comprehensive product information leaflets about nutritional values and usage and the book by Patricia Collino “Je teste les laits végétaux“ (I’m putting plant milk to the test) are so far available only in French.

In the Mediterranean countries, extensive cultivation of almonds is carried on – a method that is possible on the poor soils of mountain slopes. Farmers don’t need to water them, and this is why in many regions almond production is both sustainable and practical protection of nature, because birds, insects and wild plants are encouraged. Moreover, cropping almond trees brings in money in economically disadvantaged regions that have hardly any alternative sources of income.
(Picture on left: Almond blossom in Spain)

Tip: www.lamandorle.com