Plenty Foods opens its nut powder processing facility in regional Queensland
Plenty Foods officially launched its high-protein nut powder processing facility in Kingaroy, Queensland on 26 February 2026 — providing food manufacturers across Australia with access to a locally made nut powder ingredient for next-generation food product applications.
An Australian producer best known for its cold-pressed and refined specialty oils, Plenty Foods has now commenced producing a range of high-protein de-fatted nut powder. It also has plans for almond and macadamia flour/powders in the future, but peanut is the first line in production at the new facility.
Each powder is produced by gently roasting then pressing whole nuts and milling the remaining nut solids into a powder using advanced powder technology, resulting in what is described as a lighter, fluffier ingredient with good absorption and blending properties. Unlike traditional nut flours, which are higher in fat and behave more like a meal or heavy flour, these superfine nut powders are designed to open new formulation possibilities across next-gen food products such as sports drinks and supplements, bakery, snacks and functional foods. There are also application possibilities in gravies, sauces and coatings as well as vegan alternatives such as dairy-free ice cream.
The facility
The cold-pressed oil business was originally founded at the Kingaroy site back in 1986 by Graham Helmhold, who was a fats and oil chemist. Centrally located near food producers, Helmhold first started extracting oil from crushed peanuts to meet a gap in the market. This was closely followed by macadamia nut oil extraction in 1987 and avocado oil extraction in 1988.
“As with many businesses, it did take many twists and turns as market channels changed,” said Josh Gadischke, Managing Director of Plenty Foods, who bought the business with his wife Jo in 2010.
Gadischke said the inspiration for the new facility came after he discovered from nut growers that several nut grades were proving difficult to shift.
“As we were already an established oil crusher and nut paste processor, we identified nut protein powders as a perfect match for the Australian nut industry and also our business systems.
“With superfine nut powders, we’re taking [our] core capability and unlocking more value from the nut, resulting in a zero-waste operation for us, and value-added products for the market.”
Using a $9m government co-contribution from the Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI), the $22m new plant has been seven years in the making and was built adjacent to the existing oil mill. The business now has around 8000 m2 of facilities under-roof at the site.
“The design criteria for the nut powder operation was highly focused on lean manufacturing principles and efficiency, which also includes energy efficiency measures. Specifically, we incorporated several heat exchangers to harvest heat recovery and implemented a vertical counter flow roaster which reduces energy demand and running costs,” Gadischke said.
Australian-made traceable manufacturing
“Food manufacturers are under pressure to deliver cleaner labels, higher protein and better functionality. This ingredient is designed to help them do all three, using an Australian-made solution for the first time,” Gadischke said.
The nut powder range is produced using state-of-the-art equipment, leveraging by-products of the oil-pressing process to create a value-added ingredient while supporting more efficient resource use.
“This is about smarter innovation,” Gadischke said. “We’ve been very ambitious with this product in terms of the quality we want to produce, but it’s also great to tick other boxes like zero waste for our facility and reducing food waste for farmers and the environment.
“We’re investing in new technology to give manufacturers an ingredient that is more consistent from batch to batch, performs better, while supporting Australian growers and reducing reliance on imported alternatives.”
Plenty’s superfine nut powders are made in Australia using locally sourced nuts, providing food manufacturers with a domestic, traceable alternative to imported nut powders at a time of increasing supply-chain scrutiny.
‘Australian made’ will also ensure fresher product with a longer shelf life and lower food miles for local manufacturers.
Functional benefits
Ben Horwood, Plenty Foods’ Sales Director, said: “Market response to this product has been strong, with engagement from leading players in food, beverage and nutrition manufacturing seeking high-protein, plant-based ingredients that deliver both nutritional and functional advantages.
“This interest reflects a clear shift toward clean label, dairy-free solutions that enable innovation across applications such as high-protein nut spreads, powdered nutrition formats, functional snacks, bakery and ready-to-drink products. This highlights the relevance of superfine nut powders as a next-generation ingredient for manufacturers developing products at scale.”
According to Plenty Foods, the superfine nut powders offer a combination of nutritional and processing advantages, including:
- Higher protein levels (up to ~55% depending on nut type)
- Reduced fat content compared to similar products
- Smooth, silky texture for improved dispersion and mouthfeel
- Vegan-friendly and all-natural, with no added ingredients
- Versatile functionality across baked goods, protein bars, extruded snacks, soups, coatings, shakes and ready-to-eat meals
A comparative analysis has shown that Plenty’s de-fatted nut powders delivered lower fat and higher protein than conventional nut flours, while enabling tighter crumb structure and improved absorption in finished products.
For Australian nut growers and the horticultural sector, the launch represents a new value pathway. By converting nuts that have traditionally been regarded as a low-value by-product into a premium, export-ready ingredient, Plenty is generating additional demand and improved returns from each nut grown.
While superfine powder technology is used internationally for other applications such as cocoa, Plenty says its use in nut-based powders at commercial scale could represent new possibilities for Australian food manufacturing.
“Manufacturers and brand owners interested in exploring technical, commercial or product development opportunities are encouraged to contact us to discuss how superfine high-protein nut powders could support their next phase of innovation,” Horwood said.
Top image caption: Josh and Jo Gadischke, co-owners of Plenty Foods, pose in front of their nut powder facility during the last stages of the build.
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