Acorn flour – naturally gluten free

Gluten intake causes gastrointestinal disorders in celiac and intolerant patients. The current trend of consuming gluten free products has added to the demand for these industry products. Digestive health reasons, weight management, and nutritive value of these foods are some of the reasons that have been driving the gluten-free products market. Manufacture of gluten-free products requires the use of preselected raw materials. The number of such ingredients is limited; therefore, the acorns could become one major food source and an attractive novel ingredient for the future. The objective of this paper was to perform and document a complete production cycle of acorn flour starting from the foraged tree nuts, collected in October in Slavonia (east Croatia). The results of physical and chemical investigations of differently treated samples of oak acorn are also presented in this paper. Oak acorn, Quercus robur L., (belonging to Fagaceae family) was investigated in native and thermally treated forms. The acorns were allowed to dry naturally and then shelled. The meal was coarsely ground and dried at 40 °C for 24 h and milled. Produced acorn flour contains 4.56 % fat, 6.48 %, protein, 36.86 % hemicellulose, 14 % cellulose and 1.96 % minerals.