How We Make Our Sprouted Oats

“How are One Degree Organics sprouted oats made?” and “How do you process your organic sprouted rolled oats at One Degree?” are questions we get asked often.

Whether you want assurance that no chemicals were used to make your morning oats, or (like us!) you believe it is important to know where your food came from—and what was done to it between our farmers’ soil and your spoon—we have good news!

One Degree Organics oats are made using simple processes from sprouting to shipping—all to make sure they are the most nutritious, highest quality, organic sprouted gluten-free oats you can feed your family.

Keep reading to learn how we make our sprouted oats at One Degree Organics!

Step 1: Visiting the Farm

Making the best organic sprouted oats begins long before a load of freshly harvested raw whole grain oats arrives at our facilities. At One Degree, acquiring organic oats is more than a commodity transaction—it starts with the relationships we build with our farmers.

Before we place our first order of oats, we look for family-run farms run by farmers who are as committed to clean, organic, plant-based ingredients as we are. We invest time and care in establishing mutually beneficial, long-lasting partnerships with all our farmers.

That’s why meeting oat farmers who share our values and enthusiasm for organic farming and visiting their farms in Northern Alberta is the first step to making One Degree Organics sprouted oats! (Learn more about how we choose our oat farmer partners here).

Step 2: Unloading the Oats

Once our farmer partners harvest their oats, our order travels by truck from their Northern Alberta farm directly to our facilities in Abbotsford, British Columbia to be unloaded.

Step 3: QA Testing (Round 1)

After a truckload of organic oats has been unloaded, our Quality Assurance team inspects the load, testing for contaminants like foreign objects or gluten-containing grains. Once QA tests prove the shipment meets our standards, the process of turning raw oats into sprouted rolled, steel cut, and quick oats begins!

Step 4: Sprouting and Cleaning

Harnessing Mother Nature’s magic and decades of research and experience sprouting whole grains, One Degree Organics’ proprietary sprouting process is the step that separates our oats from other organic gluten-free oats on the shelf.

First, we clean our freshly sprouted oats using a special two-step process. Then we sprout our oats in water that is just the right temperature and for just the right amount of time to unlock the true nutritional potential stored in each whole grain.

Step 5: Dehulling and Dehusking

Sprouted and squeaky clean, our next step is to remove the inedible hulls and husks that helped protect the whole grain oat as it grew. Dehulling, dehusking, and gentle oven drying leaves all the whole grain goodness intact as each oat continues its journey from our farmers’ soil to your spoon.

Step 6: Sorting

Next, our sprouted oats travel through an optical sorter to get rid of any stray hulls, husks, or inedible bits missed in Step 5. A high-resolution camera and quick bursts of air remove any unwanted particles with greater speed and accuracy than human eyes and hands.

Step 7: QA Testing (Round 2)

Our Quality Assurance team puts every batch through a battery of visual quality inspections, and physical and chemical tests to make sure our sprouted oats are worthy of the certifications on our packaging and will stay fresh until the Best Before date stamped on the bag. Step 7 is where we confirm our oats test below the <20 ppm gluten-free threshold and meet moisture standards to eliminate the risk of mold and other food-borne pathogens.

Step 8: Mechanical Processing

What happens next depends on whether we are making sprouted rolled oats, sprouted steel cut oats, or sprouted quick oats.

• For rolled oats, whole sprouted oats are softened with steam, rolled into flakes, then gently oven dried.
• For steel cut oats, whole sprouted oats are broken into pieces using a mechanical groat cutter.
• For quick oats, steel cut oats are steam softened, rolled into flakes, then gently oven dried—just like our rolled oats, but starting with smaller pieces of whole grain oats to make smaller flakes that cook faster.

Step 9: QA Testing (Final Round)

One last round of testing by our Quality Assurance team before packaging confirms our sprouted oats meet the highest standards. Here we test the finished oats for pathogens and heavy metals to make sure you and your family will enjoy clean, certified organic, certified gluten-free, glyphosate-free, Non-GMO Project Verified sprouted oats when you choose One Degree Organics.

Step 10: Packaging

Our oats are packed and sealed immediately after they are made to ensure peak freshness. Every batch is stamped with a source code so you can trace every bag back to the farmer who grew the oats inside—and we can live up to our commitment to total food transparency.

Step 11: Shipping

We ship our sprouted oats as soon as possible after they are processed and packaged so they are as fresh as can be when you reach for them on your favorite retailer’s shelf—so you can make your morning bowl of oatmeal or next batch of cookies with the very best ingredients.

Now that you know how we make our sprouted oats at One Degree Organics, we hope you feel as good as we do about serving them to your loved ones as we do! Still have questions? Check out our Sprouted Oats FAQs to get your top questions about sprouted oats answered.

Crave new ways to use our sprouted oats? Check out our Family Recipes section and use the Products Filter to discover delicious recipes for our organic gluten-free Sprouted Rolled Oats, Sprouted Steel Cut Oats, and Sprouted Quick Oats. Scroll down and sign up for our newsletter to get fresh inspiration delivered to your inbox every month. And follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook to fill your favorite social feed with wholesome, organic food content from One Degree.