Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do you make gluten free products?

A. No, we have wheat flour, rye flour, and barley flakes that all contain gluten.

Q. What is cultured wheat starch?

A. Cultured wheat starch is dried sour dough that helps to give our products longer mold-free shelf life.

Q. What makes a food ingredient natural?

A. To put it as simply as possible natural food ingredients in the United States aren’t produced by processes that add additional chemicals or chemical processes to the ingredients. Natural ingredients are grown and produced by methods that have been in use for hundreds, if not thousands of years, such as fermenting, grinding, sifting, pickling or smoking. Natural storage methods include refrigeration or freezing. Controlling the temperature alone controls the shelf life of the product.

Q. What are whole grains?

A. Whole grains are the whole grass berries as found in nature. Wheat, oats, spelt, Kamut®, and rye are typical whole grain flours.

They are made up of 3 distinct parts: bran – the tough outside covering; germ – the baby plant for the next generation; and endosperm – the starchy part that feeds the baby plant. All 3 parts must be in the flour, in the same combination as is found in nature to make it whole grain flour.

Q. What is HACCP?

A. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic preventive approach to food safety that addresses physical, chemical, and biological hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection.

HACCP is used in the food industry to identify potential food safety hazards, so that key actions can be taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of the hazards being realized. It was created by NASA to feed astronauts on space flights. It has been adopted worldwide to produce safe foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Food suppliers that follow HACCP principles follow strict procedures and guidelines to produce, track, and control the quality of the food they produce.

Q. Besides adding flavour, why is salt used in your pitas, OneBuns™ and Skinny Dippers™ crackers?

A. Salt is a functional ingredient in bread baking. It adds flavour to breads and crackers, but also adds to the structure of the dough by firming the gluten that holds it all together. Salt also has a profound effect on shelf life. Low salt breads go moldy much faster at room temperature.

Our R&D team is constantly on the search for ways to reduce salt, yet deliver the natural flavour and wholesome goodness our valued customers have come to expect.

Q. What artificial chemicals do you use in your products?

A. We don’t use any!

Q. What does your KSA symbol mean?

A. It means that all ingredients are approved by the KSA, Kosher Supervision of America. Our bakery products are free of dairy and meat ingredients.

Q. What is the best way to store your OneBuns™, Morning Rounds™ and pitas?

A. Our products contain no artificial preservatives. The best way to keep them fresh is to freeze them right away. Freezing quickly locks the moisture in. Refrigerators work on the principle of drawing out heat, and the moisture goes with it. Ozery Bakery pitas, OneBuns™ and Morning Rounds™ can be taken from the freezer and thawed at room temperature in about 30 minutes, or popped in the toaster (400°F) for about 1 minute for fresh baked flavour and texture.