FAQs

To maintain maximum shelf life on your product we recommended refrigerated storage conditions. All Kialla products are kept in a low humidity cold environment. Cool room temperatures are set for maximum  17º celsius. This assists in the control of pests – there is no residual chemicals in our organic flours so it is susceptible to pest infestation in your pantry cupboard.

We do not supply Kialla products directly to supermarkets. However, our distribution clients may supply them with our products re-packaged under their own brand labelling.

All products excluding sultanas (Kialla does not have an export agreement with Government to export dried fruit) are available to both the domestic and international markets. Kialla’s policy is to maintain and increase its domestic market share first.

In extreme cases sometimes we are unable to source Australian grain. This is usually due to drought related conditions that effect volume or no harvest grain being produced. This effects our grower supplier base the most. In order to maintain and serve our existing clients needs we have to make alternate arrangements to import the end product. Kialla currently have 4 certified organic suppliers from a number of countries. Each supplier has a reputable export history and their certification agencies are listed with IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement) who our Australian certification agencies recognise for full audit traceability back to the individual grower.

With the majority of domestic orders received we can dispatch within 24- 48 business hours if stock is available for order picking and transport providers pick up that same day. Please see below for more information regarding transport in the question “When will I receive my order?” Some larger volume orders including export orders require a lead time minimum of 14 business days, but this can be confirmed at time of order.

Transport providers used by Kialla to deliver clients orders (domestic only) are all long term suppliers with working knowledge and understanding of Kialla’s organic standards and transport requirements. Most transport companies pick up daily for delivery within 1 – 2 days and interstate deliveries within 4-5 working days. When placing your order for a first time we will recommend the most efficient mode of transport available to deliver to your area. If you nominate your own transport company we are happy to work with them on your behalf.

Kialla only uses reputable transport operators – all of whom have serviced our clients for many years. As fuel prices have fluctuated over the last couple of years transport operators have added a ‘fuel levy’ to their base charge. This allows them to increase or decrease freight charges on a monthly basis. Our transport companies operate on a transparent system – they show us what fuel is costing them each month and adjust the levy accordingly. Because of the volumes which we send we also get very good rates with our transport operators.

The rolled oats are steam stabilised by steam rolling the oat groat (kernel) at a temperature of 100-102 degrees. Any rancidity from having removed the outer oat grain husk has been stabilised for maximum shelf life and storage conditions. This produces a slightly pre-cooked but stabilised rolled oat that retains a large proportion of its original nutritional content.

Most of the Kialla whole grains are sproutable and are germination tested post harvest. The most popular of products we sell for sprouting are Wheat and Barley which are mostly used for juice production. Sunflower, Fenugreek and Mung Beans are the most popular for salad sprouts.

Under the National Organic and Biodynamic standard a grower must be growing under organic management for a minimum of three years prior to achieving full organic status. During this time they are under In Conversion to Organic status. You can rest assured that an IC product has been produced under organic management.

Whilst we have a large range of gluten free grains we do not process these in a dedicated facility. All care and attention is taken when changing from a gluten to a non gluten grain. First of all we discard the first 50kg of the non gluten run. We then test for gluten presence (to a detection rate of 10ppm) – if there is a detectable level of gluten we discard another 50kg and re test. To see the full range of gluten free grains that we stock visit our product range pages.

Unhulled grain contains the outer husk. Let’s use sunflower seeds as an example; the sunflower seed has a fine outer hull usually black in colour. This hull is removed to produce the inner kernel or groat. This hulled grain is therefore known as sunflower kernels. Now let’s use oat grain as an example; the oat grain has a spikey sharp outer husk usually pale in colour. This husk is removed to produce the inner groat or kernel. This hulled grain is therefore known as oat groats. In most cases Kialla has tried to use modern terminology to best describe its hulled products. Hulled sunflowers are known as kernels. Hulled oats are known as groats. Hulled white French millet is known as hulled millet.

In extreme cases Kialla cannot source or supply grain or grain product if drought related conditions were a factor during plant growth. This effects our grower suppliers most of all but is an environmental factor we cannot plan around. At the most we could be without grain until the following year’s harvest. In the majority of cases though Kialla plans its production schedules around priority grains first. We will always strive to have sufficient stocks available in order to meet demand.

As mentioned in Q1 above, we don’t sell product via our website and there are minimum quantities required for purchases directly from Kialla. We are happy to service new bulk order clients who wish to order 1000kgs or more (a full pallet lot). Please contact us to find out more. We always aim to process clients’ orders efficiently and promptly with faster dispatch times due to easy picking of orders. Once you’re onboard as one of our clients we’ll let you know more about this service.

We understand why you consider packaging when you buy an organic product . We are conscious of our carbon footprint and endeavour to provide recyclable packaging where we can.

We pack our 20kg and 10kg bags of flour in paper. Also, 23 of our flour and grain products come in our very popular 5kg calico bags. However, not all retailers stock these – you may be able to request that they order them. For the smaller retail packets we chose the laminated packaging film over the traditional paper that many flours are packed in for 3 reasons: to prevent pest infestation, to maintain freshness, and to keep retail cost of the product as low as possible.

When it comes to the production of retail packets we found that paper rewind film rolls do not run through our machinery. In each product run we fill about 3000 bags so if we were to use paper, we would need to fill each individual bag, which impacts enormously on the end price of the final product.

When it comes to preventing infestation by flour-loving insects, conventional (i.e.non-organic) flours are treated with various toxic pesticides to control insects in the grain and after milling. Thus, these flours can be safely stored and presented in paper bags on supermarket shelves, where they last for some time. Since our product is organic and we don’t use any pesticides, airtight packaging is the best way to prevent infestation.

When it comes to freshness of the product, flour tastes and performs better the fresher it is and it’s not possible to maintain it’s freshness in paper alone. Freshness requires an airtight sealed package, or continual cold storage. In the case of retail products it’s difficult to control how shops store the product, and for how long they store it.

The internal layer in contact with the food meets US FDA and EU regulations on food grade packaging. It does not contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) or Phtlates.

Our retail packaging is made from a laminated film with a plastic identification code of 7 and is recyclable. However you need to check with your local council whether that particular code can be recycled in your area. The film is not biodegradable. The only films that are biodegradable and have little environmental impact are not suited to our products due to possibility of contamination in the seal areas. While some other films claim to be biodegradable, there is no clear scientific evidence that the material really does biodegrade. The internal layer in contact with the food meets US FDA and EU regulations on food grade packaging. It does not contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) or Phtlates.