Özmen Un, which stands as one of the significant brands in the domestic market with over 100 types of flour produced untouched in Turkey’s first ‘dark mill’, alongside successfully exporting to more than 40 countries, aims to lead the sector with numerous innovations and investments.
e spoke with Erhan Özmen, Chairman of Özmen Un, at the opening of the 10th edition of the IDMA Istanbul Fair held at the Istanbul Expo Center this year. Discussing both the IDMA Fair and his company, Erhan Özmen emphasized the significance of IDMA Fairs for the sector, stating, “If the Turkish flour sector is leading in world flour exports today, the technological advancements made by the Turkish milling machinery sector play a crucial role in this. IDMA Fairs have made a significant contribution to the development of milling machines.”
Erhan Özmen stated that they have achieved a total wheat crushing capacity of 730 tons in two facilities, with 580 tons per day under the Özmen Un brand and 150 tons per day under the Yeni Un brand. He remarked, “Within our group, we provide employment opportunities in various fields and continue to progress towards our production and goals with our team of 300 people. We are already observing the positive effects of our efforts to improve social rights and opportunities by accelerating our branding and institutionalization processes, which we identified as priority targets last year. Our R&D and Business Development operations, which are highly important to us, are ongoing with great enthusiasm. We are also intensively working towards the goals we have set for 2030 and 2050 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.”
“We also make a difference in safe food production”
Erhan Özmen highlighted their production of future flour through industry 4.0 technology without human intervention, emphasizing that they mix at the flour stage, not at the wheat stage, using their mixing technologies. He stated, “This enables us to produce flours tailored to specific purposes, institutions, and individuals. I must emphasize that we also make a difference in safe food production with our flours produced untouched by a dark mill. With our R&D team and collaborations with academia, we continue to shape the industry with innovative and value-creating products, reaching a product range of over 100 types. Our product line includes special flours for every taste. Particularly, our Zivago and Antep Flour, crafted specifically for baklava makers, continue to set us apart positively in the sector. Additionally, we are present on every table with our Bezosta, Tozluk, Renata, Mozaik, and other flour varieties. We are mindful of living in a new world where resource management and circularity are increasingly vital. With this awareness, we persist in investing to enhance all our processes and convert by-products into value-added products through new partnerships.”
“We produce special flours not only for Turkish cuisine but also for world cuisine”
Erhan Özmen, Chairman of Özmen Un, highlighted that while they produce separate flours for products specific to Turkish cuisine and artisans such as İzmir’s boyoz, Diyarbakır’s kadayif, and Kayseri’s mantı, they also produce special flours for various products of world cuisine such as croissants, pizza, sourdough, baguettes, and macarons. He stated, “We are one of the richest regions in the world in terms of wheat quality and diversity. Milling in lands where cereals and wheat with hundreds of varieties and characteristic features are grown, we’ve conducted detailed studies on the performance and character of wheat varieties when transformed into products, marking one of our significant achievements. Utilizing the unique flavors and textures of our regional wheat varieties, we produce separate flours for specialties like boyoz, kadayif, and mantı. Our approach extends beyond Turkish cuisine and artisanal products to include a variety of world cuisines. With this approach and motivation, we export the valuable products we produce to over 40 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, EU countries, and Gulf countries.”