CLOSTER, NEW JERSEY, U.S. — American Key Food Products (AKFP) has signed an exclusive distributorship agreement with Mitsui & Co. Ltd. for extra-fine white and brown rice flours for gluten-free baking manufactured by Kumamoto Flour Milling Co. in Japan. This will be the brand’s first foray into the American market.

The specialized rice flours are produced using a proprietary manufacturing process that sets them apart from currently available rice flours in the United States, AKFP said. Kumamoto’s milling process yields uniform, extra fine particle sizes, the company said, with the size distribution confined within a narrower range. The process also keeps the degree of starch damage to lower levels than in similar rice flours, AKFP said.

“These flour qualities result in smoother and softer textures and greater volume in gluten-free baked products,” said Mel Festejo, chief operating officer of AKFP. “We have achieved excellent results in gluten-free cakes, breads and muffins, dramatically shown in comparisons with baked goods using other well-known flours in the same recipes.  In a white bread application, for example, volume increases by as much as 25% when Kumamoto’s rice flours are used in place of other finely milled rice flours following the same recipe.  The soft texture we have produced with these new rice flours is neither too dense nor too porous, resulting in superior gluten-free eating qualities. Muffins exhibit a nice, domed crust; donuts, a smooth outer layer with a non-greasy, appealing crumb structure.”

For more information, visit: www.akfponline.com.