Fabulously Functional
As many of you may already know, I’m pregnant again, with baby number 2. By the time you read this I’ll be two months from my due date – and no doubt much larger and wondering how to survive the heat of the summer. As an expectant mom, I’ve been taking prenatal vitamins for months. New for me this time around are vitamin D and omega-3 pills. Recent research on the benefits of this sort of additional supplementation to fetuses has obstetricians and midwives recommending pregnant women take both vitamin D and omega-3. Most of us in North America don’t get enough of either in our regular diets, so the pills are a way of making sure both mom and baby are getting the required amount. Now, I’m not a big fan of pills – I have trouble swallowing them, sometimes they upset my stomach, and often I forget to take them. But my rumbling, demanding (and seemingly ever expanding) stomach never lets me forget to eat. And I would much rather get the nutrients I need from the food I eat, than from popping pills. Which is why I love functional foods. And I think most Canadians feel more or less the same way. A study on functional foods and what Canadians think of them, conducted by Decima Research for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, shows most Canadians “prefer natural/less processed food choices over powders, extracts, pills or capsules, as means to get foods/components into their diet.” Canadians, apparently, “when purchasing products in order to get a specific food/component into their diet, tend to prefer items that have a nutritious image over other types of foods.” But the results also show that “few Canadians are seeking out functional foods with the exception of well known food/components such as calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. This suggests that once a food component and health linkage is made in the public mind, fairly large numbers of Canadians will make an effort to purchase products containing these components.”
Which means Canadian food makers have some work to do, not only in creating foods with an added functional benefit, but also in educating consumers about why those products are good for them and why they should be buying them.
Phillip Lee Wing of the Food Development Group (based in Richmond Hill, Ont.) is doing his part. He’s the man behind a line of healthy treats known as Armadillo cookies. We interviewed Lee Wing for our Final Proof column (page 34). Jam-packed with soy, omega-3, calcium, and inulin, these cookies promote what Lee Wing calls, “intelligent calories and intelligent snacking. We’re hedging our bets that consumers want to snack, but they want to snack well . . . and they want to feel good about it afterwards, knowing they ate something with healthy ingredients.”
Many other bakers are also stepping up to the functional food plate, to name just a few: Weston Bakeries recently launched its Wonder+ Headstart 100% Whole Wheat Bread, with added omega-3 DHA; Stonemill Bakehouse has numerous offerings with omega-3; and Edmonton’s Bon Ton Bakery has been selling its Omega Bread since 1989.
Considering stepping into the functional food fray? Agriculture Canada suggests consumers want products “as similar as possible to the conventional alternative, for example in terms of price, taste and convenience, to gain the acceptance of consumers. There is little empirical evidence that consumers are willing to compromise taste and convenience in order to switch to functional products.”
But give consumers something tasty, easy to eat, and healthy to boot, teach them why it’s so good for them and you’ll have a healthy product that will appeal to moms (pregnant or not), kids and anyone looking for something to satisfy that rumbling stomach and not feel guilty about it. ❖
Vol. 68, No. 6 July 2008
Editor Jane Ayer
editor@bakersjournal.com 1-888-599-2228 ext. 250
Technical Editor John McColl, Puratos Canada jmccoll@puratos.com
National Advertising Manager
Stephanie Jewell sjewell@annexweb.com 1-888-599-2228 ext. 268
Sales Assistant Laura Price lprice@annexweb.com 1-888-599-2228 ext. 219
Production Artist Krista Misener
VP/Group Publisher Diane Kleer dkleer@annexweb.com
President Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 530, 105 Donly Dr. S., Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065710 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESS TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT, PO BOX 530, SIMCOE, ON N3Y 4N5
e-mail: sbrady@annexweb.com
Periodicals postage paid at Buffalo, N.Y. USPS 007-277, ISSN 0005-4097. Published ten times per year (Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug/Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec) by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. US Office of publication c/of DDM Direct.com, 1223 William St., Buffalo, N.Y. 14240. US Postmaster send address change to P.O. Box 611, Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14304.
Printed in Canada ISSN 0005-4097
Circulation e-mail: sbrady@annexweb.com Tel: 866-790-6070 ext 206 Fax: 877-624-1940
Mail: P.O. Box 530, Simcoe, ON N3Y 4N5
Subscription Rates
From time to time, we at Bakers Journal make our subscription list available to reputable companies and organizations whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name to be made available, contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. No part of the editorial content of this publication may be reprinted without the publisher’s written permission. ©2008 Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. No liability is assumed for errors or omissions. All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.
Jane Ayer
industry news
World food prices will remain high
By Emma Vandore
World food prices are set to fall from current peaks in the coming years but will remain “substantially above” average levels from the past decade, according to a report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
report said average prices from 2008-2017 for beef and pork will rise 20 per cent; sugar around 30 per cent; wheat, maize and skim milk powder 40 to 60 per cent; butter and oilseeds more than 60 per cent; and vegetable oils over 80 per cent.
The report says demand for biofuels has boosted demand for grains, oilseed products and sugar at a time when stocks are lower.
Despite the prices hikes, general price levels have remained “remarkably stable,” suggesting that inflation in the coming decade will “remain low,” the report says.
“We do not expect the current price levels to last. But the average of most agricultural commodity prices over the next 10 years will still exceed the average of the previous decade by 10 to 50 per cent, depending on the commodity,” OECD head Angel Gurria said.
Compared with the previous decade, the
Internationally, overall food prices have risen 83 per cent in three years, according to the World Bank. Part of the increase is the result of adverse weather in major grainproducing regions, with spillover effects on crops and livestock competing for the same land.
Developing countries such as India and China will dominate production and consumption of most commodities by 2017, the report said.
The report assumes a strengthening of the U.S. dollar against most other currencies, which it said will increase incentives to boost domestic production in some countries.
(Source: The Associated Press)
The Good Food Festival & Market, held annually for 16 years in Mississauga, recently announced the winners of the People’s Pick Awards. Over 28,000 people nibbled their way through aisles of food and food-related products while enjoying more than 150 onstage cooking lessons at this year’s food festival.
People’s Pick is an annual selfguided sampling tour where attendees are given the opportunity to pick their favourite products at the show, with over 1,500 ballots submitted this year.
This year’s winners include: Italian Home Bakery, which won the award of Favourite Bread for its Ancient Grains Ciabatta (runners up in the category were Erich’s Extraordinary Bread Co. and Premiere Moisson); Shasha Bread Co.’s Ginger Snaps were named Favourite Natural Product; and Uncle George’s Pita Chips and Puffs by Handi Foods Ltd. tied for first place in the Favourite Savoury Snack category.
Next year’s Good Food Festival will take place April 24-26 at the International Centre in Mississauga. Find out more about the festival at www.goodfoodfestival.net. Good Food Festival winners
Harper to tighten labelling laws
By Michael Oliveira
Food products labelled “made in Canada” will no longer be allowed to use a substantial number of foreign ingredients, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday as he announced new guidelines that consumer advocates hailed as a “big step in the right direction.”
Under current rules, it’s legal to call a product “made in Canada” if 51 per cent of the production costs were incurred here and the final transformation of product was in Canada, Harper said.
“The truth is, foods marked ‘product of Canada’ or ‘made in Canada’ actually may not be very Canadian at all,” he said.
“A bottle of apple juice could have a
Continued on page 14
Recipe for Franchising
A Vancouver-based bakery expands its business.
By Tuija Seipell
In April 2002, best friends Heather White and Lori Joyce opened a small, pink Cupcakes by Heather and Lori shop on Denman Street in Vancouver’s highretail-rent West End. With no baking background, and with financial assistance only from their parents, their likelihood of success seemed slim.
Luckily, they were not concerned by this – or if they were, it only made them try harder – because the business has not only been a huge retail success, it has now sold its first two franchises, to be opened in downtown Vancouver and in a Vancouver suburb shortly. The founders are still the only owners of the company and they see nothing that would stop them now.
The ingredients that catapulted the retro-inspired concept to success in 2002, are probably the same that later propelled the company into franchising. The two persistent, bright, young entrepreneurs were always open to all solutions, not just the
ones known by the bakery industry. Theirs is a classic case of how lack of expertise can sometimes be a key ingredient to success. The lack of baking experience forced them to develop a clear, simple business model that they then kept perfecting and developing by trial and error. And a clear, simple, one-product concept is easier to clone than a complicated one. Franchising as a development model is all about systems and standardization.
The company has four divisions: retail, corporate, weddings and wholesale. Cupcakes employs 50 to 60 people depending on the season and has two corporate stores in Vancouver and one in North Vancouver’s Edgemont Village. It has just moved the original Denman-Street
store to an even smaller (500-square-foot) but more appropriate location a block down the street and relocated the corporate office that used to be at this location. A separate cake-baking commissary is part of the store.
Each store bakes cupcakes fresh from scratch daily. The stores also sell retail cakes baked at the commissary, and Cupcakes-branded merchandise such as T-shirts. The scent of fresh cupcakes, the pink, beige and brown retro pastel colouring, and the happy staff ready to celebrate any occasion with a cupcake, are all part of the Cupcakes image. Quality is an integral part of the concept and all products are made from preservative-free, basic ingredients, such as real butter. More than
Best friends Heather White and Lori Joyce are the creative force behind Vancouver’s Cupcakes by Heather and Lori. The pair just recently expanded into franchising – they’ve already sold two franchises.
Photos
courtesy of Cupcakes by Heather and Lori
Pretty-in-pink: the retro-inspired concept first came into being in 2002.
80 per cent of the company’s business is destination-retail, which means that customers come specifically to the store, rather than walk in by accident.
Besides a clear-cut business plan, what also was in place from Day 1 is the partners’ vision of expansion. “We always knew we were going to expand,” says Lori Joyce, the analytical partner who handles people, PR and business development. Joyce approached the challenge of franchising the same way the pair has approached everything: find out how it’s done, check that you understand what you have learned, adjust the lessons to your own vision – and then just do it!
“We did not know how we were going to expand, but we designed our whole concept around the premise that it must be repeatable,” she says. “Because of today’s job market, it is easier to find an invested owner-operator than a dedicated store manager, so franchising started to look like a good way to go although it was the last method we investigated because we hadn’t really met anyone locally that we looked up to. But franchising is a good way of expansion for us because we want to maintain the ownership of the company. Fundamentally, it is a great way to expand.” And what was the secret to learning how to franchise? Call someone who has done it and ask. Joyce called Brian Scudamore, founder of 1-800-Got-Junk? “I was fascinated by the fact that he has been able to create a really exciting culture
The Cupcakes concept includes Cupcakes-branded merchandise like these hoodies.
around junk,” she says.
At some point, she Googled “guru of franchising” and George Naddaff’s name came up. He is the founder of Boston Chicken/Boston Market and developer of many other successful concepts. “I phoned him and we had a wonderful conversation,” says Joyce. “A year later, when I had most of our ducks lined up, I called him again and he invited us to Boston. Heather and I spent a full day with him.”
Also on the call list as someone who knew a lot about retail was Chip Wilson, founder of many successful Canadian concepts, including Lululemon. She also talked with several people at COBS because they are a successful retail bakery concept.
“These are all great entrepreneurs who are willing to mentor and talk to you because they know that sort of thing will come back many-fold,” says Joyce. “I received incredible insights. Each one of those people gave me specific, key things that I have really stuck with. I am so happy I did it this way. It was a challenge, but we developed the entire franchise package ourselves. Of course, we consulted a lawyer but I had him develop the actual agreement with us in basic English. I wanted the whole package and the agreement to be something that I understood completely and could sell. You do have all of the control and you do need to understand what you are doing.”
She also explains why she did not use the many consultants who offer to develop a franchise package for you. “That was not an option I wanted to consider,” says Joyce. “First, it costs a ton of money and second, I really wanted to understand what we were getting into and what I am selling. This is a totally new business venture for us and it has legal implications, so we both felt that at least one of us needs to be totally clear on every single aspect of it and to be able to answer every single question a
potential franchisee might ask.”
Initially, Joyce and White envisioned that they would need five corporate stores operating before they could start franchising, but they knew they were ready and had the systems in place when they opened the third, the Edgemont Village store. “I knew we were ready to start franchising when that store did not require me and Heather to be present at all,” says Joyce. “It gave me the confidence. It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and think you are indispensable in all of that, but how do you expand if you cannot let go?”
Spreading the word about the franchising opportunity has not been a priority – from the day Cupcakes opened its first store, it has received franchising requests. People love the concept and want to take it home with them, but Joyce and White are not going to be rushed, not even now when they actually do have a franchise package to sell.
They have now sold the first franchise in Vancouver and one in a Vancouver suburb. They also have a strong candidate in Calgary and are keen to expand further into the suburbs in the Vancouver area, but eastern Canada is not on the immediate development list.
“Before I’d go to east, I’d rather go south because that’s where the population is,” says Joyce. “The most important thing is population, demographics is what drives it. Los Angeles is much closer, in our time zone and the weather is better. Weather really affects our business – we sell more when the weather is good – so there’s far more incentive for us to go south.”
Entering the U.S. market will be another steep learning curve but Joyce says simply “that’s what we will need to learn next.”
But first she wants to learn what it is like to work with a franchisee. “By the end of this year, we will have a good understanding of that and then we can move on south.” The big-picture plan includes being across North America and looking into Asia.
Although she has learned a great deal about franchising, Joyce is cautious about recommending it to others. “I cannot say right now that I would recommend franchising because I haven’t actually done it yet but once I have some experience, I’d be more than happy to talk to people about it.” ❖
For Cupcakes franchise information, send an e-mail to franchise@originalcupcakes.com.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
• GROUP PETITIONS FDA TO BAN SOME FOOD COLOURINGS
• TORONTO’S STONEMILL BAKEHOUSE SWITCHES TO GREEN POWER
• CHOCOLATE PRICING LAWSUITS CONSOLIDATED IN HERSHEY’S BACK YARD
• SUGAR PRICES SINK TO 7-MONTH LOW
WEB EXCLUSIVE
Functional Foods: A Roundup
A Decima Research and Agriculture and AgriFood Canada show Canadians seek out functional foods with well-known food/components such as calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. What else are Canadians looking for?
See the exclusive story at www.bakersjournal.com.
NEW BOOK
Cakes to Dream On: A Master Class in Decorating
Colette Peters, the celebrated queen of the confectionary arts, unveils an inspiring resource for serious home bakers, professional chefs, and aficionados of Colette’s incredible edible architecture. The renowned cake decorator – whose concoctions have appeared everywhere from White House Christmases to royal weddings – presents a master class in cake design and decoration, alongside an all-new selection of her own cake designs. Cakes to Dream On reveals the secrets to fashioning gorgeous and utterly distinctive cakes for all occasions – whether it’s an opulent marriage reception or a fanciful children’s party.
Visit www.bakersjournal.com and click on bookstore to learn more about the book and order a copy.
Visit www.bakersjournal.com and click on bookstore to learn more about the book and order a copy.
Read these stories and more at www.bakersjournal.com
POLL
Take part and view results of our regular polls…
Have commodity prices forced you to raise the price of your products?
Yes: 95% No: 5%
NEW PRODUCTS
• New Double-Mat Wire Shelving from Eagle is specially designed to accommodate merchandise that is difficult to store or display on conventional wire shelving units.
• Reiser introduces the Vemag dough divider. Add versatility to every production line, which is perfect for all types of breads, buns, rolls and English muffins. The Vemag is easily adjustable to produce a range of exact-weight portions, dough absorptions and crumb structures.
• They’re the comeback kids! The first Cabbage Patch Kids were introduced in the early 1980s and were a smash hit. DecoPac is pleased to be the bakery source for Cabbage Patch Kids cake decorations and cupcake accessories.
BUYERS GUIDE & DIRECTORY 2008
Looking for a new oven, a certain ingredient or a consultant to offer baking advice? Look no further than here, in Bakers Journal’s annual Buyers Guide & Directory. Search here for your baking needs.
DIGITAL MAGAZINE
To sign up for a free trial of the digital version of Bakers Journal, go to www.bakersjournal.com.
The Chocolate Factor
A functional food like no other? Michelle Brisebois delves into the world of chocolate and its newest attribute: healthy.
It’s been on every Russian and American space flight. One bar contains more protein than a banana and Thomas Jefferson wrote of its superiority over coffee or tea in matters of health (I knew I liked this guy). Most women would sooner give up more carnal activities than forgo their indulgence of this sweet and Mozart made reference to it in his opera, Cosi Fan Tutte. Chocolate has enjoyed a mysterious and complicated relationship with the human race for years and, much like wine, chocolate appears to transcend other more benign food groups – it’s almost divine in its appeal.
Chocolate’s allure as a healing food has always been part of its lore but the perceived benefit has been primarily psychological. It’s typically been consumed as a way of rewarding ourselves for a hard day, but new research suggests that
chocolate’s benefits may go far beyond this one-dimensional approach. Chocolate may actually have medicinal applications that facilitate the healing process. Most bakeries already have many chocolate menu items, so the industry is well positioned to benefit from this news, but we should proceed with caution. After all, we’re talking about “medicinal purposes” here. Do we need prescription pads to take this bold new direction?
Viewing chocolate as being truly good for us is a huge paradigm shift. Traditionally it’s fallen under the “guilty pleasure” category. It’s important to remember to condemn the sin not the sinner here; it’s not that chocolate is inherently bad, it’s what we do to chocolate in the processing that makes it a junk food. Today’s milk chocolate, pumped up with
Continued on page 23
Compared to milk chocolate, dark chocolate stacks up much higher on the health scale, and more and more consumers are aware of that.
Tackling the Issues
A roundtable of bakers and industry suppliers chat about challenges, solutions and the value of what the trade does.
At Bakery Showcase 2008 in May, we gathered a group of bakers, suppliers and consultants to discuss the most pressing issues of the day. Discussion primarily revolved around commodity prices, but it also touched on the value of food, and the value of the work bakers do every day. The roundtable included: Jack Kuyer of Valley Bakery in B.C.; Michelle Brisebois, Bakers Journal’s marketing columnist; Brian Hinton, owner of Lakeview Bakery in Calgary; Martin Barnett of Malaspina University College in Nanaimo, B.C.; Dr. John Michaelides of the Guelph Food Technology Centre; Frank Safian, president of the Ontario Chapter of the Baking Association of Canada and longtime flour industry rep.; Tracey Muzzolini, owner of Christie’s Mayfair Bakery in Saskatoon; Ralf Tchenscher of Lesaffre Yeast, based in Vancouver; and Andrea Damon Gibson, owner of Fred’s Breads in Toronto. In the first of our two-part coverage on the roundtable, we hear from Jack Kuyer, Brian Hinton and Andrea Damon Gibson. Check out part two in the August/September issue of Bakers Journal.
Jane Ayer: Jack, can you tell us a little about some of the price increases you’ve faced lately and how you’ve dealt with those?
Jack Kuyer: Basically I first took a waitand-see attitude, I did a small price increase around December because often you see spikes and it retracts again. I was a little concerned about raising prices too much with the media not really saying a whole lot to the consumer and then just in the last month I’ve raised all our prices, fairly substantially, just like you used to see in the ’70s. We’re about 10 per cent more in our prices than we were in December.
Ayer: What kind of feedback have you had from customers, have you had lots of complaints?
Kuyer: Not really no, because the media has been really good in the past month and that’s why I really pushed through these increases in the last period. We’re reasonably on top of our pricing, I know what I’m making on individual items and every item went up a
From left to right: Jack Kuyer, Michelle Brisebois, Brian Hinton, Bakers Journal editor Jane Ayer, Bakers Journal publisher and group sales manager Martin McAnulty, Martin Barnett, Bakers Journal advertising manager Stephanie Jewell, Frank Safian, John Michaelides, Tracey Muzzolini, Ralf Tchenscher, Andrea Damon Gibson.
different amount depending on what my profit margin was. I have a philosophy that the customer votes when they purchase items in the store, so I like to get a certain profit margin on each of my items and then leave it to the customer to decide which items are going to carry.
Ayer: And it’s worked so far?
Kuyer: I’m still here.
Ayer: How old is your bakery?
Kuyer: It’s 51 years old.
Ayer: Have you done anything in store in terms of letting customer know why you’ve had to raise prices?
Kuyer: Well, all of our sales staff have been trained to give certain responses. Basically we talk about the impact of the world market, we talk about food being used as fuel, we talk about China and the impact places like India and China are having on the food supply, we’ve also put out some information, in the form of a letter, in the store.
Ayer: And what about your competitors, do you know if they’re doing the same thing?
Kuyer: I have no idea. I quit worrying about
what my competitors are doing, I just know what I have to do and I don’t want to work for nothing and I’m old enough now that I can be a little bit more independent. There are a lot of competitors around me, and two of them have folded up in the past year, so obviously we’re not doing anything too wrong.
Ayer: And you’ve been able to protect your margins?
Kuyer: I probably got squeezed a bit in the February/March period, but now I’m back to where I should be.
Ayer: How about you, Brian Hinton?
Hinton: Well we’re a little bit different because we’re an allergy and organic bakery, so we’re kind of highly specialized.
Ayer: You do both wholesale and retail.
Hinton: We do both, yes, we’ve kind of broken the rules a little bit because they say you should never do more than 20 per cent wholesale in your retail business, but we do. Fortunately I was able to find a co-packer to do a number of signature items for us, which provides quite a considerable profit to us and the co-packer now makes them cheaper than we could make ourselves, so that’s kind of an interesting scenario for us. We’ve also done
what I refer to as brand positioning. We’ve stopped seeing ourselves so much as a bakery and more as a provider of nutrition. We’ve learned over the years that people come to us with some very specific needs and they use our products in ways that weren’t originally our intention. People use us as part of a lifestyle diet, they come in, they buy spelt bread or Kamut bread and they say, “It makes me feel better.” So we see ourselves not so much as just providing the basic bread, but as providing a health component. People say, “I drive by my Safeway because they don’t sell this, I drive by my Superstore or Sobeys . . .”, so all of a sudden our niche becomes a lot stronger. We actually put one price up which I thought was really phenomenal, we went from $4, which is expensive, to $5 and sale of the product actually went up, which kind of took us by surprise. It was an ancient grain loaf that we’ve had in our product line for quite some time and we’ve found that Quinoa and amaranth and some of those other grains, people were perceiving their nutritional benefit in that lifestyle diet. There’s been a lot of publicity around ancient grains, in fact Sobeys had this enormous ad in their flyer about ancient grains and yet they don’t sell
any in their bakery, and that’s great for us, we’re right next door to Sobeys so we were able to key-in on some of those things.
Ayer: It must have protected you somewhat (against the prices increases), the fact that you have this niche market and that people need your product, for many of them (because of allergies and sensitivities) if they want to eat baked goods, they need you.
Hinton: That’s correct. For us it hasn’t been quite as traumatic. We’ve adopted a bit of a wait-and-see position and now we’re at the point where we have to put through quite a significant price increase; we had one at the end of November, which helped us considerably. We are faced with something some of the other provinces aren’t: walk-in street wage went from $8/hour to $12/hour. And even at $12/hour you don’t necessarily get quality, you get a person who may do the job, may not, who may move on in two months. We’re faced with those challenges and then the city decided, in its infinite wisdom, to ban trans fats. It’s illegal to have trans fats in your possession if you’re within the city limits. Five miles outside the city limits, you’re not
subject to the same laws.
Ayer: The city has banned them above a certain level.
Hinton: It mirrors exactly the federal regulations, but what our city has said is we’re not going to go with voluntary regulations, they’re going to be compulsory, so in other words, it’s illegal to possess trans fats in your facility. We’ve had the restaurants switch over this year and then it’ll be the bakeries’ turn next year. For some people they’ll find some serious challenges. As an organic bakery, we don’t use any trans fats, but for some it’ll be a real challenge. Access to quality shortenings the smaller bakery can use for icing is going to be horrendous, they’re just not available. And even if you start formulating with a trans fat-free shortening, which we did, then all of a sudden, the distributor says it’s not available anymore because the company didn’t get any sales through it, so bakeries have that to deal with and then nutritional labelling they’ve been dealing for some time, so for the small baker there are some horrendous challenges.
Continued on page 15
The Looming Threat of Wheat Rust
This column is written by Dr. John Michaelides of the Guelph Food Technology Centre 519-821-1246, www.gftc.ca.
Question: A new variant of wheat rust is threatening the wheat crops globally. What do we know about this disease and how will it affect the baking industry?
Answer: The baking industry along with the entire food industry is facing tremendous pressures due to the continuous increase of the cost of raw ingredients. It is widely accepted that these problems are due to many factors and they cannot be attributed to a single cause.
Demand for commodities for use as raw materials for biofuels and bioproducts has escalated and, coupled with the land displacement for growing specific crops, has dominated the increase in the cost of ingredients for the food supply. Other factors for such increases include weather effects such as drought, flats and other catastrophic events. In addition to these factors, there is a growing demand for processed foods and meat in the highly populated and changing developing countries such as China and India. This demand is exerting more pressure on the ingredient and commodity markets.
During the thousands of years of history of crop cultivation, major catastrophes were reported mainly attributed to bad weather, insect infestations, and microbial diseases.
Most of the progress in reducing the effects of these causes deals with the development of pesticides and breeding new varieties of crops that are resistant to such diseases.
Today we are facing a new challenge with one of these causes we had a fairly good control over in the past 60 to 100 years. Wheat stem rust has been known since biblical times as the “wheat plague.” This wheat disease is rearing its head again, threatening worldwide devastation of wheat crops.
Wheat rust is an infection of the wheat stalk by the fungus Puccinia gramminis, which produces many characteristically rust-red coloured pustules on the stem of the plant. Each of these pustules contain
billions of spores that, when they become airborne, follow the wind patterns and are transported to great distances, infecting wheat fields thousands of miles away. The infected wheat plants eventually die.
The wheat rust fungus follows a cycle that alternates between the cereal crops and the barberry plant. The spores that we see on the stem of wheat are parts of the asexual reproduction cycle. During this cycle the fungus will continue to reproduce asexually and infect other cereals. At the end of the season, the fungus will produce another type of spore that will overwinter in the soil and emerge in the spring, producing yet another type of spore that infects only the barberry plant. On the barberry plant, they complete their sexual cycle and produce another type of spore that is transmitted by wind to infect the cereal plant and result in the rust disease as we know it.
The relationship between the barberry plant and the life cycle of the rust was elucidated a long time ago, and in the early
1900s, when the wheat rust epidemics devastated the crops in North America, the USDA initiated the barberry eradication program. This action did not completely eradicate the wheat rust but it did bring it under control.
The last major outbreak of stem rust in North America happened between 1950 and 1954. It was recorded to destroy more than 40 per cent of the spring wheat crops in some years during that period. Since then, extensive breeding of resistant varieties of wheat has occurred and the outbreaks of such infections have been completely eliminated, but the danger was always there. The genes of stem rust fungus and those of wheat have continuously evolved together and the relationship is very close. A minute change in the genetic material of either the fungus or the wheat determines whether the plant is susceptible or resistant to the disease. Wheat breeders have managed to stay ahead of the game and they have been successful until recently.
In 1999, however, stem rust pustules were discovered on a resistant variety of wheat in a nursery in Uganda. This discovery of a new very virulent strain of stem rust named Ug99 is identified to overpower the resistance of 90 per cent of the known wheat varieties. It has also been spreading very rapidly. Specialists in 2006 predicted, based on wind models, that the spores of this devastating disease-causing fungus could spread from Uganda to east Africa, jumping the Red Sea and reaching the Arabian Peninsula. Indeed in 2007 it was confirmed that the disease has reached Yemen. Up to that point its existence was only observed in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Scientists predict that it is only a matter of a short period of time before it reaches Pakistan and India. It is feared that the new Ug99 wheat stem rust could be of a great risk to world wheat production. Another virulent fungal wheat disease, yellow rust, devastated wheat crops in Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria in the1980s, with estimated losses of more than $1 billion dollars US. This current outbreak of stem rust could be more serious. It is estimated that it will cause a
loss of more than $3 billion US in Africa, Middle East and South Asia. If the disease is not controlled this could be the beginning of a worldwide crisis affecting the wheat supply. The disease could spread to Australia, Europe, and North America, putting more pressure onto an already suffering commodity. Indeed the world’s supply of wheat is at its lowest in 30 years and this additional problem will have a major impact on global food security. The spores follow wind patterns and cannot be controlled by boarders. The only solution is to replace most of the wheat in the world with varieties that are resistant to this race of stem rust. This will be very difficult since only about 10 per cent of the current wheat varieties are known to be resistant. Developing new varieties that are resistant will take years of breeding and testing. Their evaluation is normally being done in areas of the world where the infection is known to exist. For example, most of the new resistant variety development work for this disease is being carried out in Africa, where the danger of introducing the disease is not of importance, making the process even more difficult.
The threat of Ug99 stem rust is probably the most critical compared to all the other pressures the wheat crops are facing today. We can control the pressure on the crops from biofuel and bioproducts production or the demands from the developing markets in China and India. However, if this disease becomes (or perhaps I should say when) a global issue, then the consequences will be devastating. Our hope is that new resistant varieties are developed in time before this fungus goes global with the new arrival of this strain.
As one can imagine, the effects of this wheat disease would be very devastating and would affect the global cereals and baking industry. It will be even more devastating to some underdeveloped countries where wheat is the major food crop. ❖
Funding for this report was provided in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Adaptation Council’s CanAdvance Program.
For more information, or fee for service help with product or process development needs please contact the GFTC at 519-8211246, by fax at 519-836-1281, by e-mail at gftc@gftc.ca.
‘made in Canada’ label on it and be made from apples grown in China. A bar of chocolate might say ‘product of Canada,’ but the cocoa beans could come from the Ivory Coast.”
Under the new rules, a “product of Canada” label will mean all or virtually all the contents are Canadian in origin.
If the ingredients of the product come from another country, the label would reflect that as well. For example, a label might say “made in Canada with imported ingredients,” Harper said.
“This qualified ‘made in Canada’ label will let shoppers know they are supporting Canadian jobs and the Canadian economy, but also inform them that not all of the contents necessarily come from Canada,” he said.
The new guidelines come from the Food and Consumer Safety Action Plan announced by Harper in December.
(Source: The Canadian Press, with files from John Cotter in Edmonton and Lauren La Rose in Toronto)
Pizzey receives award from Manitoba food association
The Manitoba Food Processors Association (MFPA) presented the 2008 President’s Award to Linda Pizzey, president and CEO of Pizzey’s Nutritionals, on May 12. Pizzey was recognized for her tremendous achievements with Pizzey’s Nutritionals and her years of dedicated service on behalf of food manufacturers.
The MFPA President’s Award honours individuals who serve Manitoba’s food processing industry. Recipients are business and community leaders who promote the credibility and visibility of the food industry in government and the general public.
The MFPA is a non-profit, industry-run organization that promotes Manitoba-made food products to local and international markets.
Pizzey’s Nutritionals was founded in 1991 and is now the largest supplier of high quality, food grade flaxseed in North America. The company’s innovative product line includes MeadowPure Ultra, a combination of flaxseed and marine oil that provides ALA, EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. In 2007, Pizzey’s Nutritionals was acquired by Glanbia plc, an
international leader in dairy foods and nutritional ingredients.
Ottawa entrepreneur wins apprenticeship employer award
Ottawa’s Tatiana Vorobej was among Ontario’s top four employers recognized for outstanding support of apprenticeship by John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, at an awards dinner at the Capitol Event Theatre in Toronto on May 27.
“Apprenticeship has come full-circle for me,” says Tatiana, an award-winning pastry chef who has been making life sweeter both for customers and aspiring young bakers in the Ottawa area for 20 years.
Until she sold her business in February 2008, Cakes by Tatiana was renowned as a top-notch, artisan bakery where everything was made from scratch.
A graduate apprentice herself, and a certified Red Seal baker-patissier, Tatiana enjoys giving back by training others. The creative atmosphere in her shop appealed to bakerpatissier and baker apprentices. Tatiana provided them with both practical and theoretical
Continued on page 15
Call our Canadian Distributors to request our catalog:
BakeMark of Canada 3202 - 9th Street S.E. Calgary, Alberta T2G 3C3 (800) 663-CAKE (604) 303-1700
Cake Top Inc. 151 Carling View Drive, Unit 2 Etobicoke, Ontario M9W 5S4 (800) 584-9883 (416) 798-1777
Catalog Sales Division (800) 428-4413
L & M Bakers Supply Co. 2501 Steeles Ave.W., Unit 1 Downsview, Ontario M3J 2P1 (800) 465-7361 (416) 665-3005
Nicholson Equipment Ltd. 3975 Kitchener Street Burnaby, B.C.V5C 3L9 (800) 668-3722 (604) 291-1901
Nicholson Equipment Ltd. 11640 - 147th St. Edmonton, AB T5M 1W2 (800) 661-9026 (780) 451-6262
Traynor's Bakery Wholesale 191 Victoria Ave.S., Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3C8 (800) 263-9239 (905) 522-2730
Vincent S.Varietes Ltd. 433 Rue Saint Paul LeGardeur, Quebec J5Z 4C7 (800) 263-1687 (450) 585-1687
Vixit Products Ltd. 290 Henri Bourassa Ouest Montreal, Quebec H3L 1N7 (800) 463-8782 (514) 337-0814
Tackling the Issues
Continued from page 11
Ayer: Getting back to prices, by how much will you raise prices?
It’s going to be over 10 per cent – that’s at the wholesale level, not at the retail level.
Ayer: Has it changed the way you buy from your suppliers?
Hinton: It’s changed that too, and one of the things is it’s going to get rid of all of the extra lines we used to carry. We’re a friendly bakery and if Mrs. Jones came in and she wanted one custard tart, we would make sure there were at least two there. So that’s gone now, that friendliness, we have to focus on the core specific items that bring in our income.
Ayer: And what will you be doing to inform your customers about why you’re doing what you’re doing?
Hinton: Well I think the press has been very good to us. I have a TV spot and I appear regularly to state our industry’s position, which is that we’re people who are working hard and working long, we’re not millionaires, we don’t have a second home in the Caribbean, so be good to your friendly baker.
Ayer: Everything in the press has been pretty sympathetic to bakers.
Hinton: Yes, it has. One of the things Paul Hetherington (of the Baking Association of Canada) said to me is not to push it onto the farmer, and one of the things I’ve mentioned in my interviews is that this is not a farmerdriven thing, this is a global issue, and in many instances it’s the global supply chain that’s
Ottawa Entrepreneur
Continued from page 14
training. She also prepared her students for the workplace by helping them develop problem-solving skills and positive work attitudes.
A committed Ontario Youth Apprentice Program and co-op sponsor, Tatiana welcomed two to four co-op students per year for the past six years, and has registered at least seven apprentices since 2005. Tatiana enthusiastically promotes her trade to community groups, the media and at school career days. She even developed a summer camp for youth where she provided some elementary pastry training.
“I’m proof apprenticeship works,”
brought this about. The fact that four global companies control so much of the food supply in the world, they’ve caused different amounts of crops to disappear from countries, a lot of small farmers went out of business in many countries throughout the world, so there’s more than just ethanol affecting prices.
Andrea Damon Gibson: And it’s not clear to me exactly what’s going on because of the politics, which is what you’re talking about. It’s not clear to the public, and it’s not clear to the press exactly why this is happening. You read things and hear things but it’s not clear that these companies are in control or how they’re affecting things, and I think that’s a little frightening. Wheat is controlled by an index, I don’t get it, I don’t speak financial. The price was raised because of supply and demand, but also because it’s a commodity and people are trading it.
Ayer: How about you, Andrea, have you had to raise prices?
Damon Gibson: Yes, we’ve raised prices by eight per cent, we always took very small price increases prior to that over two years and our competitors have taken at least that and more – either 10 per cent all at once or two increases of five per cent within a month. We waited to see if prices would come down and then decided, OK, we need to do it now.”
Ayer: What was the deciding factor?
Damon Gibson: When it got to a 150 per cent increase in four months and nobody knew when it was going to come down and that it was going crazy because it was being traded as a commodity and traders were taking it for
Tatiana Vorobej, owner of Cakes by Tatiana, accepts a Minister’s Apprenticeship Employer Recognition Award from Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy on May 27 in Toronto.
a ride, like everything else. But everybody has to do it. I think our food is undervalued anyway in North America, that people pay much less than they really should.
Ayer: Perhaps that’s one of the advantages of this, that we’re talking more about food and what it’s worth and maybe in the long run this will pay off.
Damon Gibson: I think so. We’re a specialized product, so we’re somewhat protected, even in the last recession we were a little bit protected because, you know, you don’t buy your fridge or your car, but you do buy your $5 or $6 or $7 loaf of bread.
Kuyer: I think really this is a bit of an opportunity for bakers. Generally I find that for things like pastries and cakes, Europeans virtually pay double what we pay for things. That shows how a European values food versus a North American. And I think at the same time, as a percentage of income, food is very low right now. I’ve read that we can expect food prices to almost double over the next few years and I don’t know if that’s fear mongering or not, but I think what that would do is bring it back roughly to what it was in the ’60s or ’70s, so it’s probably due. Bakers, I think, traditionally have undervalued their own services. I look at a plumber who puts a truck on the road and puts $30,000 dollars worth of equipment in that truck and is able to charge $100/hour. I look at my bakery: I have to invest at least $125,000 per baker in equipment and I’m not even talking about building at that point and I’m getting maybe $60/hour, so what I’m hoping out of all of this, is that there’s some respect built for the food industry and the people working in it. ❖
says Tatiana. “Mine was the first class at Algonquin College to graduate in this trade in the ‘80s. I travelled all over the world and came back and opened my business. The apprenticeship system allowed me to have a career, not just a job.”
In 2006, Tatiana was appointed to the provincial Baker and Baker-Patissier Industry Committee, which she now chairs. She also served as one of Ontario’s representatives helping develop the National Red Seal Exams for Baker/Patissier.
The Minister’s Apprenticeship Employer Recognition Awards have celebrated the accomplishments of Ontario employers who lead the province in their support of apprenticeship. ❖
Strength in Numbers
A new bakery association sets up shop north of the border.
By Jane Ayer
There’s a new kid in town – or, to be more precise, a new association. Headed up here in Canada by Brian Hinton of Calgary’s Lakeview Bakery, Resourceful Purchasers in Action Canada (RPIA Canada) is a spinoff of the original RPIA in the U.S.
“It’s a unity buying program that has had six years of success in the U.S.,” explains Hinton.
RPIA USA has 87 members, made up of both retail and wholesale bakeries, and suppliers. Hinton first stumbled on the association while on a recent trip across the border and was instantly intrigued by the promised benefits of being part of the group. Those benefits range from special pricing on everything from freight to ingredients, discounted equipment and rebates. Many of the members also end up doing business with each other, so there’s the added benefit of networking and all of the opportunities that offers.
“Our members want to buy the best way they can – as a group,” says Hinton.
innovators,” explains Hinton. “They’re in control of their own destiny. Eighty per cent of members have increased their business in three years.”
Because much of the communication is conducted online or via BlackBerrys, members must also be technologicallysavvy.
Hinton says the group isn’t looking to compete with the Baking Association – RPIA Canada has a completely different mandate and its focus really is on pricing, “..something the BAC can’t involved itself in, for obvious reasons,” says Hinton.
Pastry, Donut/Muffin Shop, Supermarket)
❏ Baking Wholesaler
❏ Restaurant, Caterer
❏ Hotel, Resort
❏ Institution, Hospital
❏ Baking Supplier ❏ Other
TO SUBSCRIBE:
Tel: 1-866-790-6070
Fax: 1-877-624-1940
And in times like these, with the soaring cost of doing business, group buying power can’t be underestimated. In the short time that he’s been a member (almost two years now), Hinton says his membership fee has more than paid for itself.
“We’re remodelling the store, so I contacted Artica, who is a preferred supplier, and not only did I pay below cost for showcases, they also offer the total package to RPIA members, including help with designing the scheme and all of the millwright requirements,” says Hinton. “I almost immediately saved my firstyear membership fees.”
Just what are those membership fees? Because it’s looking to grow membership and because it’s convinced once they’re familiar with the benefits of being part of the organization, members will be in for the long haul, RPIA Canada is offering to freeze memberships fees for five years for charter members. Normally, bakery members pay a one-time initiation fee of $500, plus annual membership fees of $400. Bakery suppliers pay a membership fee of $900 annually, which includes advertisement on the website and all handouts and special invitations to attend social events at regional meetings. The one requirement for bakeries is sales over the $1 million mark.
“We’re looking for people who are
Interested in finding out more? RPIA Canada will be hosting regional information sessions in Vancouver and Toronto in September (Sept. 7 for Vancouver, and Sept. 14 for Toronto), along with a joint RPIA Canada/ USA AGM in Dallas, Texas in January. Go to www.rpia-canada.org or send an e-mail to www.info@rpia-canada.org. ❖
Trade shows:
September 21-23: American Bakery Expo, Atlantic City Convention Centre, Atlantic City, N.J., www.bakerexposition.com
Courses:
Guelph Food Technology Centre August 6-7: Effective Training for the Plant Floor
August 12:
Foreign Materials II: In-House Evaluations using the Light Microscope
August 14:
New Employee Orientation Program: Food Safety and Hygiene Training
For more information, contact the Guelph Food Technology Centre at 519821-1246, send an e-mail to: gftc@gftc. ca, or go to www.gftc.ca.
Breads Certainly to Be a Focus in Sodium Reduction Efforts
Based on other international efforts, the sodium levels of breads/rolls and other baked goods will most certainly be a focus in any Canadian effort to reduce the overall intake of sodium by Canadians. Countries such as the United Kingdom, France and New Zealand which initiated their own efforts have included breads due more to the total sodium contribution to the diet on a daily basis versus that contained in individual servings. In the United Kingdom, the Federation of Bakers has been working with the U.K. Food Standards Agency to voluntary reduce sodium levels in breads to 430mg/100g by 2010.
Recent estimates indicate that over half of Canadians have high sodium intakes, mainly from commercially prepared foods, putting them at risk
for high blood pressure. According to data from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey, as many as 90 per cent of men over the age of 19, and 65 per cent of women, exceed the level of sodium at which potential risk of adverse effects increases. High blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.
One of the key objectives of the Federal Sodium Working Group of which BAC President and CEO Paul Hetherington is a member will be to make recommendations on how to reduce sodium levels in processed foods. The Working Group has now had two meetings and begun the information gathering process in order to make its recommendations. Further meetings of the Sodium Working Group are planned for early Fall.
Thank you to Bakery Showcase Exhibitors
At the close of this year’s Bakery Showcase, the Daily Bread Food Bank collected over 4,000 pounds of fresh and frozen bread, pastries, pies and ingredients from exhibiting companies. They in turn, have distributed this donation to over 196 agencies including neighbourhood food banks, homeless shelters and prenatal nutrition programs.
Changes to Health Canada Website
Regular users of Health Canada’s website will notice significant changes as it has been completely redesigned to be more user-friendly and to meet Government of Canada Common Look and Feel Standards (CLF 2.0).
Due to new file naming requirements, the URLs for each page of the website have also been changed. This is important for regular users of the site who will find that all existing bookmarks or links connected to the site will need to be renewed. Users will be automatically redirected to the new URLs for a limited time period, but are encouraged to update their links and bookmarks early to ensure a smooth transition.
Changes to Product of Canada and Made in Canada Labelling Proposed
The federal government is proposing new guidelines for use of the voluntary “Product of Canada” and “Made in Canada” on food labels and advertising.
Currently, the guidelines state that two basic criteria must be met before manufacturers can use Canadian content statements: occurred in Canada, and; producing or manufacturing the goods are Canadian.
The new policy proposed by the federal government would shift the definition of “Product of Canada” from the direct cost or value of a product to focus on the contents and ingredients of a product.
“Product of Canada”
The current 51 per cent direct cost threshold for “Product of Canada” claims would be replaced by guidelines ensuring that “all or virtually all” of the contents of a food product are Canadian. Therefore, all significant components, ingredients,
Baker Going Green
Stonemill Bakehouse in Toronto has launched eight climate changesolutions in its goal to become a carbon neutral operation. The company’s “green” program began last year when the Stonemill commissioned anenvironmental impact studyto identify and prioritize green initiatives that would have thegreatest impact in reducing its carbon footprint. The study identified eight climate change solutions that have been adopted as the bakery’s foundation for operating a sustainable and environmentally responsible business.
One solution was Stonemill’s conversion to 100 per cent clean, renewable electricity. The bakery, located in Scarborough, will source 100 per cent green electricity generated by low-impact hydroelectric and wind energy, reducing its CO2 emissions footprint by almost 1,000 tonnes annually. The bakery produces 40,000 loaves daily and also has a retail location at the St. Lawrence Market.
Stonemill’s other green initiatives that have been, or are currently being implemented by the bakery include the following:
Sourcing all raw ingredients from Ontario, whenever possible.
Reducing electrical consumption. Prior to moving to renewable energy Stonemill already reduced its electrical consumption by 12 per cent in 2007 through a refitting of electrical fixtures and a company-wide commitment to responsible usage of power.
Reducing water usage. Through further retrofits to machinery and low-flow restroom fixtures the company plans to reduce waste water generation by 25 per cent. Use of phosphate-free cleaners only to limit chemical
processing and labour used to make the product would need to be Canadian. There would be very little or no foreign content, with the exception of minor additives or spices which may not be sourced from Canada.
“Made in Canada”
The term “Made in Canada” with a qualifying statement could apply to virtually every other product as long as the last substantial transformation of the product occurred in Canada. Therefore, if a food product is manufactured or processed in Canada, regardless of the origin of the ingredients, it could use a “Made in Canada” label. Products would use either “Made in Canada from domestic and imported ingredients” or “Made in Canada from imported ingredients”.
BAC’s initial assessment of this initiative is that it would for the most part preclude most bakery products from using the voluntary labels as a result of use of imported ingredients such as raisins, sugar, various additives and a host of fruit products.
contamination in waste water.
In-house recycling.
Sourcing organic product as often as possible, based on market conditions and ingredient availability.
“Our environmental road map is the natural extension of Stonemill’s core values of ‘healthy breads for our body, soul and planet’,” says Gottfried Boehringer, President of Stonemill. “I invite the rest of the baking industry to follow suit. Collectively we can make a substantial and positive environmental impact by reducing environmental waste and conserving non-renewable resources.”
Monday,September15,2008
MagneticHillGolfClub Moncton,NewBrunswick
11:00a.m. Registration&MeetYourTeam 12:00p.m. FirstGroupisoff!Modified Best BallFormat 6:30p.m. Steakdinner
PleasefillintheregistrationformbelowandreturnitbySeptember5,2008.Intheeventofa“sell-out” registrationswillbeacceptedonfirstcomefirstservedbasis.Disclaimer-golfersandtheirguests agreetoindemnifyandholdtheBakingAssociationofCanadaharmlessfromanyandallliabilityor claimfordamagesorinjurieswhichmayariseasaresultofparticipationinthisevent.
Name:
Company:
Address:
Phone/Fax:
E-mail: Quantity:
BACMembers–Golf,Cart,Dinner & prizetable
EarlyBird priortoAug 30th x$135.00
Total:
BACMembers –Golf,Cart,Dinner& prizetable Late registration $145.00 Total:
BACMembers–DinnerOnlyx$40.00eaTotal:
NonMembers–Golf,Cart,Dinner & prizetable EarlyBird priortoAug 30th x$145.00ea Total:
NonMembers–Golf,Cart,Dinner& prizetable Late registration $160.00 Total:
Non-Members–DinnerOnlyx$50.00eaTotal: HST@13% Tax:
PleaseenclosechequeorMoneyOrder PayabletoBakingAssociationofCanada Grand Total: Visa, MastercardandAmericanExpressorderspleasecomplete thefollowing: Visa p Mastercard p AMEX p Card#:______________________________Exp.Date:__________ NameonCard:____________________Signature:________________________________
Tohelpustoensuretheteamsareevenpleasechecktheappropriate box below. AverageScore_______ Handicap 1st Time
Pleasemailorfaxto:GillianBlakey,Baking AssociationofCanada 7895TranmereDrive,Ste.202,Mississauga,OntarioL5S1V9 Tel(888)674-2253 x21 Fax(905)405-0993
Baking Association of Canada
Upcoming Events
Alberta Chapter
July 22
Annual Golf Tournament
Elbow Springs Golf Club
Calgary, AB
Atlantic Chapter
September 15
Annual Golf Tournament
Magnetic Hills Golf Course
Moncton, NB
Congratulations To Our Most Recent Correspondence Course Grads!
Nancy Beecraft
Bakery Technology II
Sharleen Lambert
Food Hazard Control: Sanitation
Farhad Mehrabi Nejad
Bakery Technology I
William Smith
Operating A Successful Bakery
Peter Storm
Bakery Technology I
Jorge Verastegui
Food Hazard Control: Sanitation
For information on correspondence courses for baking industry employees and the Certified Bakery Specialist (CBS) program, please contact ext. 21 at the BAC office or check out our website, www.bakingassoccanada.com.
new products
Narnia cake kit
Beyond what we can see, there is a world of adventure, discovery and peril. The quest into the fantastical land of Narnia continues in this second theatrical instalment, Prince Caspian, which took the box office by storm in May. DecoPac is pleased to present a cake design that captures the intrigue and suspense of the magical land of Narnia. Check out the new Prince Caspian “Battle Cry” DecoSet® #30321 and a full line of Prince Caspian DecoPac products.
Go to www.decopac.com or call 1-800DECOPAC to order.
Quarter sheet pan
Genpak has just announced the latest addition to its broad line of premium CPET bakery products: the new quarter sheet pan. Whether you plan to fill, freeze and ship off for final bake or simply bake and show, this pan fits the bill. Genpak CPET bakery trays are produced from #1 recyclable PET material. In addition, their strength and superior design makes them perfect for automated processes. To complement the extensive line of bakery trays, Genpak also offers crystal clear APET lids for optimal visual presentation – what better way to showcase your offerings!
To find out more about any of Genpak’s products, visit www.genpak.com, click on “Bakery & Oven Ready,” and take a moment to browse the complete bakery line.
Flax products
the product.” Natunola® Health’s Delight Shelled Flax Meal and Shelled Flax Kernel will now be offered in colourful new packaging with an appealing brand name that provides the customer with valuable information about the products in an easy-to-use and resealable format.
To learn more about Natunola and Natunola® Health’s Delight, call 1-613774-9998 or visit the website at www. healthsdelight.com.
Chocolate straws
FRESH GOODS + QUALITY INGREDIENTS =
LOYAL CUSTOMERS
The San Francisco Chocolate Factory is pleased to introduce the chocolate straw. The straws make any glass of milk taste like chocolate milk, which means no more battles over getting kids to drink their milk. The new straw is designed with fun packaging that is attractive to both parents and children. The San Francisco Chocolate Factory was created in 1999 to provides chocolate lovers with gourmet-quality, superbly packaged chocolates at non-gourmet prices. The business has now expanded to other parts of the U.S. and the world, including Canada and Europe. The factory uses only the finest quality cocoa beans, gathered and imported from three different continents. Only the best beans are selected for consistently superior flavour. The chocolate straws retail for $3.99 for a 3.5-oz. box.
To find out more about the San Francisco Chocolate Factory and any of the products it sells, go to www.sfchocolate.com.
Ballerina Barbie
Withbaking hours from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Arremony’s Quality Bakery products are available warm and fresh throughout the day. Owner Philip Arremony describes the Jewett City, Connecticut business as an “Old World” style bakery that has maintained its popular product line since its founding in 1960.
Phil has taken Arremony’s Quality Bakery services beyond those of a retail bakery. He offers catering services, and plans to develop a mailorder operation. Why not? He already ships baked goods to the west coast and Florida to satisfy former Jewett City residents.
In fact, some Arremony customers travel as far as 50 miles to pick up their favorite baked goods. They place their orders in advance in order to schedule visits around Arremony’s two week summer shut down. What generates such enthusiasm? For starters, Babka bread, sweetened with golden raisins, Whoopie pies (a cream filling between two chewy chocolate cookies), chocolate chip cookies and date or apricot filled shortbread cookies.
Phil, who grew up in the business and learned the trade from his father Philip F. Arremony, took over in 1996. Phil’s son Ian, now 26, has followed his father into the business.
Natunola Health Inc. has announced the official launch of its new brand name Natunola® Health’s Delight. “Our flax products have been recognized for their value and consumers are driving the rapid demand,” explains Dr. Nam Fong Han, CEO of Natunola Health. “Our experience in the retail market has demonstrated to us the consumer’s need for a convenient, daily source of omega-3 and other nutrients. This prompted us to invest in the new image of
Barbie™ has danced her way into the hearts of little girls the world over.
In celebration of her timeless appeal, DecoPac is pleased to present a new Barbie “Perennial Ballerina” DecoSet® featuring Barbie® as a beautiful Ballerina Princess. The classic design also features two of her friends in graceful dance poses. DecoPac has a full line of Barbie™ products.
Check out DecoPac’s full line of products by visiting www.decopac.com, or calling 1-800-DECOPAC to order. ❖
In Phil’s view, a major challenge facing bakers today is the nutritional awareness of today’s customers. “Using good, pure ingredients is essential,” he said. “Because customers expect consistency in my products.” For consistent results, Phil relies on International® Bakers Services to flavor all of Arremony’s baked goods. Phil is particularly fond of the Vanilla Crystals he adds to his “wonderfully delicious” donut glaze.
If you want consistent quality, turn to International® Bakers Services. Contact us toll-free at (800) 345-7175, by fax at (574) 287-7161, or in writing at 1902 North Sheridan Ave., South Bend, Indiana 46628. We have the flavors your customers deserve.
Pizzey’s Whole-Milled BevGradTM and SelectGradTM flaxseed is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acid (22%). Also a good source of dietary fiber and protein, Pizzey's flaxseed does not require refrigeration and is gluten free.
Email: sales@pizzeys.com www.pizzeys.com
Continued from page 9
fats, oils and loads of sugar, resembles dark cocoa about as much as a Playboy Bunny resembles a real woman.
“There is a lot of confusion in the marketplace,” confirms Kelly Buckley of A Passion for Chocolate (www.apassionforchocolate.com). “Some other companies cut costs by adding oils to chocolate already loaded with fats and sugars. Obviously it’s a concern for those promoting chocolate’s true health value that these oil-laden products will benefit from a halo effect from the media attention regarding the health benefits. Educating consumers about the difference is paramount.”
“If you’re starting to think that tapping into chocolate’s newfound role as a healthy food is more trouble than it’s worth, think again. Maybe it’s not about making claims but simply taking a parallel path.”
The big focus has been on the antioxidant levels of dark chocolate. Dr. Steven Warren, M.D., (of www.MyDrChocolate. com) reports that cocoa is rich in antioxidant flavonoids called flavonols offering benefits that include anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and antiviral properties. Promising research also suggests that the body’s utilization of insulin is improved with the ingestion of flavonols present in chocolate. This is great news for those with Type 2 diabetes. All of this information is encouraging for those who love to eat chocolate and those who love to work with chocolate but it may be a position better left to the healthcare industry to promote.
“We definitely can’t make any health claims right now,” says Kelly Buckley. “Research indicates that approximately three quarters of the antioxidants are lost when the chocolate is heated so it’s not just about what’s in the chocolate but also how it’s handled. Our products are cold pressed and have other antioxidant-
rich ingredients such as açaí berries, and blueberries. We’re focusing on education and tightly controlling how the product is distributed to ensure consumer education is handled with integrity.”
If you’re starting to think that tapping into chocolate’s newfound role as a healthy food is more trouble than it’s worth, think again. Maybe it’s not about making claims but simply taking a parallel path. The media attention around functional foods, nutraceuticals, and particularly chocolate will likely cause these segments to grow strictly from increased awareness. Without making any health claims, you may want to introduce more dark chocolate into your menu. Dark chocolate has a vastly different taste profile from the convenience store milk chocolate and the bakery industry would do well to focus on and celebrate these differences. In the wine industry, origin is a key trend as consumers become more intrigued with understanding why the soil, weather and geography of a vineyard makes one merlot taste completely different from another. The same principle applies to chocolate: it’s called terroir and it’s about the location infusing the food or drink with a unique taste profile. Show customers why a Belgian chocolate differs from a Swiss chocolate by holding
tastings as in-store events (another tactic often used by the wine industry to great success). It’s quite probable that instead of trying to navigate the health claims of chocolate the baking industry would do better to raise the profile of chocolate from dime-store sin to premium indulgence. While the research around chocolate’s health benefits accumulates and definitive health claims become sanctioned, your customers will be spending their time learning from you to appreciate fine chocolate. By flanking the nutraceutical trend with a complementary strategy, rather than attempting to run with it head-on, you’ll be riding the wave without stepping into a regulatory quagmire. In the end, perhaps chocolate is staying true to form – always mysterious and indefinable. But always necessary. ❖ Michelle Brisebois is a marketing professional with experience in the food, pharmaceutical and financial services industries. She specializes in helping companies grow their brands. Michelle can be reached at On Trend Strategies by e-mail at: briseboismichelle@ sympatico.ca.
Hosting a chocolate tasting can open your customer up to the world of origin chocolates and the different flavours that come with them – along with introducing them to some of the wonders they can buy from your shop.
ALBION BAKERY SUPPLIES
25 Connell Court, Units 8 & 9
Etobicoke, ON M8Z 1E8
Contact: Rita Spizzirri, Mauro Rotondo or George Spizzirri
Order Dept: Helen
Tel: 416-252-4660 Fax: 416-252-9993
Products offered: Cookies, cakes, tarts, muffin mix, pies and tart shells, croissants, Danish, turnovers, puff pastry dough, pies (fruit and crème), Nanaimos, frozen fruits, and bread products, etc.
Assistance offered: Manufacturers’ technical services.
Company comments: We offer a wide range of frozen baked and unbaked products for your convience when there are not enough hours in a day.
BAKERHAUS VEIT LTD.
70 Whitmore Rd. Woodbridge, ON L4L 7Z4
Contact: Sabine Veit, President & CEO; Tobias Donath, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing
Tel: 905-850-9229 Fax: 905-850-9292
Products offered: Frozen par-baked, mult-grain, sourdough and savoury breads, baguettes and rolls, bulk and packaged.
Deliveries: Across Canada and the United States. Local broker and distribution support. Major customers: Retail food chains and foodservice.
Assistance offered: On-site technical support, training, plus merchandising and POP/POS materials.
Company comments: Bakerhaus Veit offers a wide range of European handcrafted quality par-baked frozen artisan breads and rolls that upscale and increase variety while reducing labour, prep time and spoilage.
BAKEMARK CANADA
2480 Viking Way, Richmond, BC V6V 1N2
Contact: Richmond: Rick Barnes 604-3031700 or 800-665-9441
Calgary: Alfons Rosel 403-243-5493 or 800661-1248; Edmonton: Ian Repay 780-4832831 or 800-363-2062; Toronto: Steve McCaughey 905-829-2221 or 800-361-4998; Montreal: Nancy Beecraft 450-667-8888 or 800-361-0758
Products offered: Clean labeled and kosher dough conditioners for use in the production of frozen dough, par-baked and frozen baked goods.
Deliveries: Supply bakers across most of Canada from key locations in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.
Major customers: Wholesale bakery manufacturers, independent bakeries, in-store bakeries, foodservice and the food industry. Assistance offered: Sales, marketing and
technical expertise.
Company comments: BakeMark Canada offers a variety of frozen dough conditioners. We also supply pre-made and par-baked products for your baking ease and convenience. Contact you local branch for all your bakery ingredient needs.
C.K. FOODS INC.
220 Viceroy Rd., Unit #9, Concord, ON L4K 3C2
Website: www.ckfoods.com
e-mail: info@ckfoods.com
Contact: Michael Chernyak
Tel: 905-760-1176 or 800-821-8995
Fax: 905-760-1172
Products offered: MoistureLok is a breakthrough ingredient technology that significantly improves the freeze/thaw stability and shelf life of unbaked, par-baked and thaw ‘n sell frozen doughs. The ingredient system is all natural and non-GMO.
Deliveries: Across Canada
Assistance offered: In-house technical support and strategic product development advice as well as professional formulation services free-of-charge from a well-established outsourced product development
firm. Test samples are provided and a large database of proven prototype bakery formulations are available.
Company comments: Nu-Bake provides functionality that is comparable, and in many cases superior to that offered by chemical dough improvers and shelf extenders. It’s sold successfully in Canada, the U.S.A., Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
CAPE MARKETING ENTERPRISES LTD.
2122 Gladwin Cres., Unit D-30
Ottawa, ON K1B 5N1
Contact: Rene Melancon
Tel: 613-733-8237 Fax: 613-733-6161
e-mail: cape.marketing@sympatico.ca
Products offered: Frozen ready to bake, croissants, baguettes, fresh sweet pastries, frozen pizza pockets, frozen miniature meat pies, frozen and fresh hors d’oeuvres.
Deliveries: Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.
Major customers: In-store bakeries, retail bakeries, hotels and restaurants, delis and institutions.
CARAVAN INGREDIENTS
7905 Quivira Road, Lenexa, KS 66215
Tel: 1-800-669-4092 Fax: 913-888-4970
e-mail: info@caravaningredients.com Website: www.caravaningredients.com
Products offered: Artisan breads & rolls, specialty bread & rolls including holiday items, grain bread & rolls, Hispanic products,
focaccia, pizza dough balls, rye & pumpernickel bread, white bread & rolls including French & Italian breads, pan bread, dinner rolls, Kaiser rolls, long & round sandwich rolls, hamburger & hotdog rolls.
CAROLE’S CHEESECAKE COMPANY LTD.
1272 Castlefield Ave., Toronto, ON M6B 1G3
Website: www.carolescheesecake.com
Contact: Linda Wilson
Tel: 416-256-0000 Fax: 416-256-0001
Products offered: 100 flavours of premium frozen baked cheesecakes, cakes, pies, and tortes.
Deliveries: Nationwide in Canada, via distributors. Export to USA, Caribbean, Europe and Korea
Major customers: Hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, airlines, railroads, food stores, foodservice distributors, caterers, institutions, private label, co-packing.
Assistance offered: New product development, signature cakes, merchandising materials, posters, banners, dessert menus, table tent cards, samples to taste.
Company comments: Carol’s provides premium quality cakes, available pre-portioned in 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 or 16 servings per cake depending on choice of cake. Packaged 2 or 4 cakes per case. Carole’s has 34 years of baking experience. Carole’s is a federally registered C.F.I.A. Plant #1043, is federally recognized HACCP certified and is certified Kosher and Halal.
CITY BAKERY SALES CORP.
906 1st Ave. N.E. Calgary, AB T2E 0C5
Contact: Norm Skelton
Tel: 403-263-8578 Fax: 403-237-0453
Products offered: Specializing in frozen pre-proofed doughs including European buns, traditional and artisan specialty breads, baguettes, organic breads and buns, croissants and Danish.
Deliveries: Canada and North-West Territories.
Major customers: In-store and retail bakeries, hotels, restaurants, clubs and catering. Assistance offered: Product expertise, technical support and training.
Company comments: Utilize the advantage of freezer to the oven products with the MIWE computerized ovens to provide your customers continuous quality fresh-baked products all day.
CRUST CRAFT
13211-146 St. Edmonton, AB T5L 4S8
Website: www.crustcraft.com
Contact: Paul Flesher
Tel: 780-466-1333 Fax: 780-466-1347
Products offered: Frozen, flat and raisededge pizza crusts. Either par-baked or raw shells. Preproofed shells as well. Sizes range from 5" to 18". Can be packed for retail sale or bulk sale.
Deliveries: Canada, via refrigerated truck or carrier.
Major Customers: Foodservice companies, retail chains, hospitals, institutions, further pizza processors.
Assistance offered: In-house R&D lab services for new products. Strong support is also available in product orientations, storage, baking, handling, etc.
Company comments: Crust Craft offers the finest quality frozen pizza crusts and flatbreads by using the finest quality ingredients and workmanship.
DAWN FOOD PRODUCTS (CANADA) LTD.
75 Vickers Road, Etobicoke, ON M9B 6B6
Tel: 416-233-5851
OR Box 190, 75-33rd Street East Saskatoon, Sask. S7K 3K7
Tel: 306-934-3200 or 866-277-3663
e-mail: dawncanadacs@dawnfoods.com web site: www.dawnfoods.ca
Contact: Don Fernald, National Director of Sales
Products offered: Cake/doughnut mixes, bread mixes/bases, fruit fillings, glace fruit, icings, fondants, glazes, flour, and other bakery ingredients.
Deliveries: Throughout Canada and the U.S. Major customers: In-store, retail and wholesale bakeries, food manufacturers, food service, distributors.
Assistance offered: Technical assistance, training, marketing and custom product development.
Company comments: Dawn Food Products is a full-service bakery supplier and distribution company headquartered in Jackson, Michigan. It is one of the world’s largest bakery manufacturers and distributors as well as one of the nation’s oldest manufacturers of bakery mixes and bases. Since 1920, Dawn’s dedicated employees, outstanding products and valued customers have made the Dawn name synonymous with excellence.
FIERA FOODS COMPANY
50 Marmora Street, Toronto, ON M9M 2X5
Website: www.fierafoods.com
Contact: Jerry Chizick
Tel: 416-746-1010 ext. 512 Fax: 416-7468399
Products offered: Frozen laminated dough, croissants, Danish, puff pastry, bagels, bagel rolls, zero trans fat, cinnamon buns, muffin batters, pre-deposited muffins, fully baked
cakes, cookies, éclairs, individually wrapped sweet goods, fully baked buns.
Production methods: Freezer-to-oven; preproof; par-baked; fully baked.
Assistance offered: Technical assisted support provided to all our valued partners. Company comments: Fiera Foods has and remains committed to the highest standards. At Fiera Foods Company, our vision is clear – expect only the best!
GENERAL MILLS BAKERIES & FOOD SERVICE CANADA
5825 Explorer Drive, Mississauga, ON L4W 5P6
Contact: Mike Bell, Marketing Manager Tel: 905-212-4859 Fax: 905-212-4119
Products offered: Wide range of innovative quality frozen dough products, including breads, rolls, croissants, pie and tart shells, Danish, cookies, puff pastry products, muffins, doughnuts, cakes, biscuits and new freezer-to-oven cinnamon rolls.
Deliveries: Distribution throughout Canada via major distributors.
Major customers: Foodservice accounts, in-store bakeries, traditional retail bakeries, distributors, and wholesale bakeries.
Assistance offered: When you partner with General Mills, you will always start with the safest products that allow you to consistently deliver delicious results to you consumers. General Mills will help you do this through technical support and customized merchandising programs.
Company comments: General Mills has the resources and expertise to be your single source supplier. With world-class R&D, strict food safety guidelines and superior customer service, General Mills is making business better everyday.
GOLDEN LOAF BAKERY INC.
10 McEwan Drive, Unit 5, Bolton, ON L7E 1H1
Contact: Lou Spizzirri, President Tel: 905-951-9995 or 800-663-3346
Products offered: Variety of frozen dough products including an extensive range of breads, rolls, buns, focaccias, butter croissants. Experienced manufacturer of “Arte Pane” artisan breads. The originator of the “Eat-A-Bowl” or edible bread bowl.
Deliveries: Throughout Canada direct and distribution.
Major customers: Supermarkets, in-store and independent bakeries, foodservice. Assistance offered: Sample program, demos, in-store assistance, technical training to all upon request. Golden Loaf Bakery is happy to offer assistance in manufacturing your products and custom formulating your
recipes for frozen dough production, etc. Company comments: Our philosophy at Golden Loaf Bakery is building customer relationships through total support in product development, marketing assistance and the highest quality product offerings.
GOURMET BAKER INC.
Suit 502-4190, Lougheed Hwy. Burnaby, BC V5C 6A8
Website: www.gourmetbaker.com
Contact: David MacPhail, Vice President and General Manager
Tel: 604-298-2652 Fax: 604-296-1001
Products offered: Manufacturer and marketer of baked and unbaked desserts and breakfast pastries. Broad rang of frozen bakery products including dessert bars and squares, un-iced sheetcakes, puff and Danish pastry, crumpets, croissants, cinnamon buns, round cakes, loaf cakes and slab cakes.
Deliveries: Throughout Canada and the United States. Minimum order 150 cases, shipped via frozen reefer truck through distributors. Major customers: In-store bakeries, retail bakeries, supermarket chains and the foodservice segment.
Assistance offered: Sales and product training is available from our sales network across Canada.
Company comments: The Gourmet Baker brand is well recognized throughout Canadian in-store bakeries and the foodservice industry. Gourmet Baker has developed a reputation for delivery of high quality and value products as evidence by its long-standing customer relationships. Through its extensive product offerings, the company provides customers with considerable choice and the convenience of one-stop shopping.
GRAINHARVEST BREADHOUSE INC.
105 Lexington Rd. #3, Waterloo, ON N2K 1A6
Contact: Roland Berchtold, Vice-President Tel: 519-725-1920 Fax: 519-725-0295
Website: www.grainharvest.on.ca
Products offered: Frozen proof & bake, frozen thaw & serve. Artisan-style buns, breads, bagels and pretzels. Also offering an excellent line of long shelf-life gluten and wheat-free products.
Major customers: Retail food chains, hotels, frozen and fresh distributors.
Company comments: We are large enough to fill any order and small enough to put a lot of care into the product.
LE BON CROISSANT
Executive offices:
Creditview Centre: 720 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W, Suit 28 Mississuaga, ON L5C 3G1
Contact: Catherine Creally, Director, Market Development.
Tel: 905-270-9840 Fax: 905-270-3001
e-mail: ccreally@leboncroissant.com
Website: www.leboncroissant.com
Products offered: Unbaked frozen croissants, Danish pastries, puff pastries/turnovers and cinnamon buns. Baked frozen croissants, Danish pastries, puff pastries/turnovers, cinnamon buns, French baguettes, garlic baguettes, garlic toast, garlic bread sticks. All products are certified kosher.
Deliveries: Throughout Canada, U.S., Carribbean islands and the Far East.
Major customers: Foodservice operators, food distributors, private-label retailers. Assistance offered: Technical training and product development assistance.
Company comments: For 21 years, Le Bon Croissant has manufactured and distributed its unbaked frozen, baked frozen and bakery products to customers across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and the Far East. We provide innovative product ideas that help maximize profits by blending traditional recipes with modern facilities. Our master baking team uses state-of-theart equipment to produce more than 12,000 cases of assorted products per day, including private label products for some of the largest grocery store chains in the U.S. We take pride in providing attentive, responsive customer service and product innovation.
LENTIA ENTERPRISES LTD.
17733-66 Avenue, Surrey, BC V3S 7X1
Contact: James Knowlden
Tel: 604-576-8838 Fax: 604-576-1064
e-mail: vanoffice@lentia.com or Unit #2-1375 Amico Blvd, Mississauga ON L4W1B5
Tel: 905-625-2804 Fax: 905-625-4774
Contact: Al Criminisi (East) e-mail: torooffice@lentia.com or Atlantic Canada
Tel: 506-856-5099 Fax: 506-857-8087
Products offered: Pre-proofed pure butter croissants and Danish in various sizes and shapes, pre-sheeted pure butter puff pastry on a roll or in a slab, bavarois soufflés, bavarois and charlotte strips and fruit purees.
Deliveries: Throughout Canada with frozen food distributor.
Major customers: In-store and retail bakeries, major hotels, restaurants, caterers. Assistance offered: Technical assistance available.
Company comments: Lentia specializes in high quality pure butter products. Our pre-proofed croissants and Danish go straight from the freezer to the oven. In addition, Lentia carries a full line of
products and pastry shops.
MOLINARO’S FINE ITALIAN FOODS LTD.
2345 Stanfield Road, Unit 50 Mississauga, ON L4Y 3Y3
Website: www.molinarosfinefoods.com
Contact: Tamara Rahal
Tel: 905-275-7400 or 800-583-4959
(Canada) or 800-583-5877 (U.S.)
Fax: 905-275-6701
Products offered: Specializing in multigrain and organic items. Frozen dough balls, frozen self-rising dough, traditional pizza shells (both thin and deep dish) and components, flatbread, foccaccia, raised-edge crusts, (plain and flavoured), par-made pizzas, dessert pizzas, full topped pizzas, panzerottis and calzones, pasta and lasagna. Most products are available fresh and/or frozen. Deliveries: Canada and U.S. via frozen transport.
Major customers: Private label, retail branded and food service accounts. Company comments: Our products are available in a wide variety of sizes and weights. At Molinaro’s, we can design a program exclusive to your needs.
OLYMPIC WHOLESALE CO. LTD.
1511 Sandy Beach Rd., Pickering, ON L1W 1Z5
Contact: Bill Boisvenue
Tel: 905-420-6867 ext. 107
Fax: 905-420-3372
Products offered: Complete line of dry and frozen products for all your bakery needs; paper and cleaning supplies; cake decorating supplies from Wilton. Suppliers of house brands such as Tasty and Bakers, and the Pure Food Product label.
Areas serviced: All of Ontario (some northern parts excluded) and Quebec.
Assistance offered: Technical support from all manufacturers.
Company comments: Committed to service excellence.
OPEN WINDOW BAKERY LIMITED
1125 Finch Avenue West, Downsview, ON M3J 2E8
Tel: 416-665-8241 Fax: 416-665-9528
Website: www.owbakery.com
Products offered: Frozen Baked: breads, buns, rolls, bagels, cakes, Danish Frozen Raw: breads, buns, rolls, bagels. Major customers: Supermarket chains, grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, c-stores, foodservice, hospitals, cafeterias.
Delivery: Within GTA, Across Ontario and Nationally, Pricing FOB our Plant.
Assistance offered: Plant operates 24/7.
Order desk and Sales Manager support. Company comments: Founded in 1957, Open Window Bakery continues a tradition of baking with only the best quality ingredients to achieve our “Old World” taste and texture. Open Window Bakery, the best quality baking yesterday, today and tomorrow.
PFALZGRAF PATISSERIE
90 Saunders Rd., Barrie, ON L4N 9A8
Contact: Bernd Seyfried
Tel: 705-739-8980 or 800-561-8980 Fax: 705-739-8981
Website: www.pfalzgraf-patisserie.com
Products offered: Ready-to-Use frozen European gourmet tortes and cakes, diabetic sheetcakes.
Deliveries: Canada, United States form the Barrie plant.
Major customers: Independent and in-store bakeries, retail stores, foodservice. Company comments: Pfalzgraf Patisserie offers an extensive line of authentic European cakes and torte made with real cream. Our German-developed recipes guarantee consistent high quality and exceptional, wellbalanced taste.
PRIME PASTRIES
370 North Rivermede Road
Concord, ON L4K 3N2
Contact: Steven Muchnik
Tel: 905-669-5883 Fax: 905-669-8655
Website: www.primepastries.ca
Products Offered: Unbaked, frozen laminated
Dough products: Croissants, Danish, Turnovers, Puff Pastries, Cinnamon Buns. Frozen Baked Croissants, Danish, Cinnamon Buns (Thaw & Sell/Serve). Freezer to oven pastries. Kosher and Pareve pastries.
Deliveries: Throughout Canada, US, Carribean, Middle East and Asia.
Major customers: Supermarket chains, foodservice operators, food distributors, bakeries, c-stores, private label retailers. Assistance offered: Technical and product development assistance. Custom design service.
Designation: HACCP and Kosher Certified. Company comments: Prime Pastries is a 100% Canadian owned company that is located in Concord, Ontario. We offer an infinite range of products either in the raw frozen, “proof & baked” and “thaw & serve” format. As a contract manufacturer, Prime Pastries is capable of adapting to your needs. We can manufacture according to your specifications for size, ingredients and packaging. Our products can be found in major supermarkets and foodservice outlets in Canada and USA.
READY BAKE FOODS INC.
1425 The Queensway, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 1T3
Contact: Todd Newstead, Sales
Tel: 416-252-7323 ext. 2313
Products offered: Complete line of breads (frozen dough/pre-proofed/par-baked), rolls, sweet goods, bagels, cakes, pies and specialty items.
Deliveries: Throughout Canada from Ready Baker warehoused in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Mississauga and Montreal.
Major customers: In-store bakeries and foodservice operations.
Assistance offered: On-site training in production, merchandising and bakery management. Regular follow-up by technical sales staff comprised of qualified bakers. Company comments: Ready Bake is the leader for in-store bakery solutions through a wide assortment of products, technical assistance and training from our top bakers and access to our consumer merchandising and bakery management expertise.
RICH PRODUCTS OF CANADA LTD.
P.O. Box 1008, Fort Erie, ON L2A 5N8
Contact: Aldo Belvedere
Tel: 800-263-8174
Website: www.richs.com
Products offered: A variety of exceptional breads and rolls in a variety of formats, including Rich’s Bread and Roll Doughs, Old World Country Classics Par-Baked Breads and Rolls and Fully Baked Breads and Rolls. Rich’s also offers: sweet goods, cookies, muffins, donuts, desserts, as well as a full spectrum of whip toppings, icings, fillings. Deliveries: National distribution through local and national distributors. Minimum orders vary across Canada. Major customers: In-store bakeries, retail bakeries, hotels, restaurants, institutional foodservice operators, delicatessens, etc. Assistance offered: Training in product handling and merchandising, promotional programs, POS material and pricing kits. Company comments: At Rich’s we care for customers like only a family can. We’re committed to quality, to service, to innovation. You can see it in our product, our customer support and our people that we always strive to provide the best. In addition, we supply free of charge point-of-purchase materials (including signs, pictures, buttons, etc) inventory control and order forms, procedure manuals, videos and more to assist you in operating a profitable bakery.
RICHARDSON FOODS GROUP
839 Old Victoria Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5Z9
Contact: Jim Richardson, General Manager Tel: 250-754-5447 ext. 231 Fax: 250-7543399
e-mail: jtr@rfg.bc.ca
Products offered: Frozen bagels, frozen bread and rolls, muffins, doughnuts, pastries, muffin batter, tart shells, frozen cookie dough, frozen pies and frozen soups.
Deliveries: Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast.
Major customers: In-store bakeries, retail bakeries, doughnut shops, commercial bakeries.
Assistance offered: Merchandising, display and technical help from our staff personnel. Also assistance from manufacturer personnel.
Company comments: We offer full service bakery supply with the most extensive frozen product list available on Vancouver Island.
SUGARPLUM DESSERTS LTD.
BLDG #5 – 20381 62nd Avenue, Langley, BC V3A 5E6
Contact: Tony Hartzenberg Tel: 604-534-2282 Fax: 604-534-2280
Products offered: Quality frozen desserts including frozen classic baked cheese-cakes, mousse cakes, layered cakes and pre-portioned cookie dough.
Deliveries: Distribution throughout Western Canada via major distributors with direct drop options on full skid orders.
Major customers: In-store bakeries, distributors, wholesale bakeries. Assistance offered: Website product information, marketing material, customized merchandising bakeries.
Company comments: Our desserts are customized for food service and in-store bakeries to reflect the changing tastes and needs of our customers. Ask how you can develop your own Signature Sugarplum Dessert Line!
TABER HILLS FARMS INC.
218 Canarctic Dr. North York, ON M3J 2P4
Contact: Cal Cruickshank, Director sales & marketing
Tel: 416-665-4818 Fax: 416-665-6909
Products offered: Frozen raw white bread, rolls, Kaisers, hot dogs, hamburgers, submarine buns, crusty rolls, pizza dough balls,
European-style crusty breads, rolls, Kaisers and baguettes. Whole wheat breads, rolls, Kaisers, baguettes. Specialty grain breads, baguettes and rolls. Croissants, Danishes, turnovers, strudels and strudel sticks, puff pastry slabs, sheets and squares. Beef rolls, sausage rolls, and chicken rolls. Muffin batters, cookies and cookie batter. We are now offering par-baked baguettes and dinner rolls. Call for samples.
Delivery: Canada and U.S.A.
Major customers: Supermarkets, food service, institutions and in-store bakeries.
Assistance offered: Step-by-step bake-off manual, in-store training upon request and technical help from our experienced staff. Company comments: Our customers are an integral part of our business therefore we offer the best in quality and service, resulting in mutual satisfaction.
THE GOURMAZING COOKIE LTD.
2335 Dunwin Drive, Mississauga, ON L5L 1A3
Contact: Rob Wheeler or Betty Baran Tel: 905-608-8522 Fax: 905-828-7829
Website: www.gourmazing.com e-mail: info@gourmazing.com
Products offered: High quality, chunky, gourmet, pre-portioned frozen butter cookie batter in over 14 unique flavours, gourmet brownie batter in four flavours and healthy trans fat-free muffin batter in a variety of flavours. Healthy Fresh Start breakfast range of cookies, gourmet loaf cake and squares. Products are available as bake and serve or thaw and serve. Private label welcome.
Deliveries: Currently Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal will ship across Canada and the U.S.
Major customers: Grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops caterers and bakeries. Company comments: Gourmazing products use the highest quality of ingredients, including pure chocolate and are crammed full of extra large chunks to provide unbeatable homemade taste and visual presentation.
THE ORIGINAL CAKERIE LTD.
1345 Cliveden Ave., Delta, BC V3M 6C7
Contact: Brian Konar, National Sales and Marketing Manager
Tel: 604-515-4555 Fax: 604-515-4565
Products offered: European quality layer cakes and dessert bars in a frozen 12 by 16 inch format.
Major customers: Foodservice operations, in-store bakeries and delis.
Assistance offered: Uniquely presented sell sheets, tables talkers, plate presentation and bakery decorating idea kits and selected tent cards.
Company comments: Originally developed for the foodservice market, The Original Cakeri desserts provide the high quality demanded by most restaurants, yet do so at a price reasonable enough to allow bakeries to sell them quite profitably.
TRADITION FINE FOODS LTD
663 Warden Ave. Toronto, ON M1L 3Z5
Tel: 416-444-4777 Fax: 416-444-7084
Website: www.tradition.ca
e-mail: info@tradition.ca
Contact: Robert Brisebois, Director of Sales Products offered: Our muffins are available in a wide variety of home-baked flavours (regular, low fat, cream cake, gourmet) and sizes (mini to jumbo). Our Parisian-style croissants contain at least 20 percent fat content, baking up lighter and flakier with a melt-in-your-mouth taste. Our home-style cookies bake up soft on the inside and chewy on the edges.
Tradition’s muffins, cookies and croissants are produced on state-of-the-art equipment. We use only the finest and freshest ingredients and manufacture under the strictest of quality control systems. Tradition is as HACCP facility.
Major customers: Tradition services retail chains, foodservice distributors, hotels and restaurants in Canada and the United States. The company is also a major supplier of private label products.
Company comments: Tradition Fine Foods Ltd. is the leader in “thaw and serve” baking technology. Founded in 1982, Tradition continues to be family owned and managed. For 26 years, Tradition has been the supplier of choice to more than a dozen food chain (private label) and multi-nationals (co-pack).
TREASURE MILLS INC.
1125 Kerrisdale Blvd., Newmarket, ON L3Y 7V1
Contact: Robert D. Johnson, President and CEO
Tel: 905-853-7430 Fax: 905-853-5447
Website: www.treasuremills.com
e-mail: Francine@treasuremills.com
Products offered: Full line of European artisan breads in thaw and serve or frozen dough, along with a full line of “School Safe” products that are nut and peanut free and Kosher. Also available, bulk frozen muffin batter and cookie dough.
Deliveries: Across Canada through GFS, Sysco and various regional distributors. Major customers: Retail – Loblaws Group, Sobey’s, Farm Boy, Derry Foods, Stewart Foodservice, Tannis Distribution, Healthpro, Toronto District School Board, and various
independent schools, daycares and summer camps.
Assistance offered: Sales and marketing support.
Company comments: Treasure Mills offers a full line of European artisan breads, available either frozen dough or thaw and serve formats. Our 100% nut and peanut free facility, along with ingredients, provide us with the unique ability to offer a variety of sweet goods and breads that are “School Safe”. Treasure Mills’ cookies, muffins, snack and loaf cakes are available in retail and foodservice packs that appeal to various markets. Treasure Mills prides itself for providing nut and peanut free products that taste great and are convenient and is currently developing gluten-free, wheat-free and sugar-free products to introduce in the marketplace to meet the needs of other allergen-affected customers.
UPPER CRUST LTD.
Head Office: 50 Marmora Street
Toronto, ON M9M 2X5
Website: www.uppercrustltd.com
Tel: 416-746-1010 ext 512
Fax: 416-746-8399
Products offered:
Frozen: Croissants- Butter, Margarine, Butter Blend; Danishes, Cinnamon Rolls and Puff Pastry, Turnovers, Fruit Sticks, Fruit Bites, Bear Claws.
Easybake Line (Freezer to Oven): Croissants: Butter and Filled, Danishes: All Butter Mini, Mini Lattice, Copenhagens, Coffeecake Rings
Baked Frozen: Cinnamon Rolls, Croissants Breads: Par-baked Artisan, Mini Loaves, Buns, Baguettes, Organic
Deliveries: Delivered in Ontario by Upper Crust’s own refrigerated fleet, across Canada and the USA via third party carriers. Major customers: Major food chains in Canada and the USA as well as foodservice accounts.
Distribution: Distributed through distributors.
Company comments: In business since 1982, we have established ourselves as a major producer of high quality frozen dough products as well as par-baked and baked frozen product lines.
VANCOUVER CROISSANT LTD.
Trading under the name “The Gourmet Croissant” 105-3490 Gardner Court, Burnaby, BC V5G 3K4
Contact: Effat Sedky or Maged Sedky Tel: 604-254-0323 Fax: 604-294-0323
Website: www.vancroissant.com
e-mail: info@vancroissant.com
Company comments: We manufacture 27 kinds and flavours of frozen croissants, four of which are CERTIFIED ORGANIC.
WOW! FACTOR DESSERTS
Unit #2, 110 Claireport Crescent, Etobicoke, ON M9W 6P4
Tel: 416-674-0606 or 800-604-2253
Fax: 416-674-0608
Website: www.wowfactordesserts.com
Contacts:
Newfoundland & Labrador, (ADVANTAGE AMCA) Mt. Pearl, Mark Hillier 709-3680104
Maritimes (ADVANTAGE AMCA) Dartmouth, Troy Wamboldt 902-468-1501
Quebec (ACOSTA QUEBEC) Boisbriand, Louis Desjardins 450-435-1000 ext. 275 Ontario (WOW! FACTOR DESSERTS) Etobicoke, Ron Kent 416-674-0606
Manitoba (ADVANTAGE) Winnipeg, Colline Turner, 204-654-2701
Saskatchewan, (ADVANTAGE) Saskatoon, Morag Embleton-Kimpton, 306-373-5835
Alberta (WOW! FACTOR DESSERTS) Edmonton & Calgary, Colin Ruttle 780-4640303
British Columbia (WOW! FACTOR DESSERTS) Langley, Rob Naayer 604-533-1481
Upstate New York (LOMACK & MAY) Buffalo, Mary Jane Liveratore 716-824-2700
Colorado (ALPINE FOOD SERVICE) Denver, Jolene Dreiling 303-923-6118
Arizona (WOW! FACTOR DESSERTS) Phoenix, Judy Carrucciu 602-326-1892
Washington (DESSERTS NORTHWEST) Seattle, Bill & Kati Van Dongen 206-7627516
Georgia (WOW! FACTOR DESSERTS) Atlanta, Terri Johnson 770-590-3402
Texas (SPECIALTY FOOD MARKETING) Dallas, Bart Darwin, 972-931-1715
Products offered: Frozen baked pre-portioned cheesecakes, cakes, tortes and pies. Individual mousse, cheesecake and petit four. Deliveries: Nationwide in Canada, upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Georgia. Direct delivery by local branches via distributors in other areas.
Assistance offered: Product development and product training expertise. Merchandising includes posters, custom dessert menus, tent cards and display cards.
Company comments: Wow! Factor Desserts is a Canadian-based operation dedicated to leading edge production, marketing and distribution of high quality desserts for our customers. ❖
ALBION BAKERY SUPPLIES
(DIVISION OF A & L FOOD DISTRIBUTORS INC.)
SUPPLIER OF FROZEN AND RAW INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BAKING INDUSTRY
Tel: (416) 252-4660 Fax: (416) 252-9993
25 - 8 Connell Ct., Toronto, ON M8Z 1E8
’s (416) 247-7444
“Friends in Business” Suppliers of Quality Baking Ingredients: Flour, Yeast, Shortening, Fruit Fillings, etc.
55 Queen’s Plate Drive, Unit 5 Etobicoke, Ontario M9W 6P2
2Z8
Used & New Machinery Mixers – Ovens – Proofers Habamfa - Sheeters - Dividers - Pans
Oven & Habamfa Parts
Custom Made Racks
112 Snidercroft Road #1, Concord, Ontario Canada L4K 2K1
E-mail: sales@torontobakery.com
Tel: (905) 660-5319 (416) 736-4076 Toll Free: 1-866-622-5379 Fax: (905) 660-4537
• BAG CLOSURES & LABELS • BAG CLOSING EQUIPMENT • KWIK LOK TAGS
RICHARD RUNTE richardr@kwiklok.com
1039 GRANDE CAROLINE, ROUGEMONT, QUEBEC J0L 1M0
TELEPHONE: (450) 469-2554 FAX: (450) 469-3085 CELL: (450) 531-2002
176 SHELDON DRIVE, CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO N1R 7K1
TELEPHONE: (519) 623-5140 FAX: (519) 623-1421 1-888 KWIK LOK (594-5565)
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
SALES, SERVICE & INSTALLATION (Since 1982)
Exclusive Agents for: ESMACH – Western Canada BASSANINA – Canada Also representing many other quality lines NEW AND USED EQUIPMENT FOR THE BAKING INDUSTRY
Bassanina
2209 SPRINGER AVENUE, BURNABY, B.C. V5B 3N1 TEL. (604) 294-3500 FAX. (604) 294-3755 e-mail: admin@emequip.com • www.emequip.com
Manufacturers of: Depositors, Transfer Pumps, Metal Detector Conveyors, Conveying Systems, Custom Built Equipment, Baking and Proofing Racks and Used Equipment. Sales and Service
381 Bradwick Drive, Unit #1
Tel: 905-660-4040 Concord, Ontario L4K 2P4 Fax: 905-660-1930
• E-mail: info@megartsystems.com
• Web site: www.megartsystems.com
SUPPLIES & SERVICES
- Calculates product cost including labour,
-
- Includes Trans Fats
-
- Automatically remove used ingredients
- Easily identify shortages
or email:
THE FINAL PROOF
It’s a cookie with a healthy conscience. Created and launched by the Food Development Group, Armadillo cookies are a range of snacks that are good to the tastebuds and good for the health. The Food Development Group’s Phillip Lee Wing offers an insider’s look at the challenges of creating a functional food.
Tell me about the origins of the Armadillo cookie. A client came to me about three years ago and asked me about trends in the industry. We noticed at the time that cookie sales were down because of concerns about sugar, concerns about white flour, concerns about junk food. We also noticed the term “functional ingredient” was being tossed around, but most people didn’t know what that meant or how to apply functional ingredients to baking. So we decided to take the cookie as the model and figure out how we could flip something that had a negative connotation. Consumers were becoming popular nutritionists themselves and were starting to eat healthier and now that’s even more mainstream in terms of reading labels, etc. So we worked with this client and came up with a line of cookies that would address healthy snacking, would address the issues with respect to no trans fats, and address the issues with using healthy sugars and using no white flours.
Can you tell me what’s behind the name?
The Armadillo is a disrespected animal in Texas that is often roadkill, but it has a hard outer shell to protect the inner body of the animal. We wanted to use ingredients in the cookies that would protect the consumer’s inner body. That was the whole imagery behind this.
Who are you targeting with these cookies?
We’re targeting adult consumers, consumers focusing on health, the housewife, the fellow who is going to the gym but still has a sweet tooth, the person working late in the office who wants something to tide him over until he gets his main meal. It’s something that’s good tasting for when you want something small that won’t ruin your appetite for your dinner and something you won’t feel guilty about.
The cookies have added soy, calcium, omega-3, protein or inulin – how did you pick those ingredients?
We felt that those were the functional ingredients that the consumer was most familiar with. When designing products, you can be too ahead of the trends or too behind them. You need to pick products that are timely, like no trans fats, oat fibre, evaporated cane juice, and using whole grain wheat flour.
We also spent a lot of time thinking about health claims – without making claims. We use a base formula for the cookies, but each one contains an individual flavour and functional component. The omega-3 oatmeal raisin has barley, which is approved in the U.S. for a claim related to cardiovascular health. We target bone health with the almond white chocolate cookie with soy and calcium, and the cranberry-apple with prebiotic inulin cookie focuses on digestive
Filled with soy, calcium, omega-3 and inulin, Armadillo cookies promote “intelligent calories and intelligent snacking.”
health. These are the first three flavours we’ve launched so far. The two others are blueberry with green tea extract and double chocolate with Peptopro, a proprietary patented protein that was initially developed for the Dutch Olympic team.
Here in Canada, how do you convey the beneficial health aspects of the cookies without making a claim?
We can make some claims; the cranberry-apple cookie with inulin can carry a fibre claim, the omega-3 oatmeal raisin cookie can carry an omega-3 claim, and the almond white chocolate cookie with soy and calcium can make a calcium claim. But we’re also depending on the consumer material, the POP material to convey the health message. Consumers think an energy bar is great, but the unit of measurement for energy is calories and if you switch the word from energy to calorie, you move from something perceived as positive to something perceived as negative. We use the slogan intelligent calories, intelligent snacking with these cookies. We’re hedging our bets that consumers want to snack, but they want to snack well.
How was it, working with those ingredients, was it tricky? Absolutely. In order to make health claims, we have to respect certain levels of ingredients. By increasing those levels you end up with interesting side notes and flavour notes. We wanted the cookie to have a specific shape and colour, so controlling the spread, the browning of the product was really important. It’s not just a matter of adding healthy ingredients to a product and believing consumers will eat it. The primary driving force was that the product had to taste great. If it didn’t taste good, we wouldn’t launch it.
With functional foods you can’t have preservatives or additives, so there’s a shortened shelf life, so you really need to consider the formulation and the packaging.
What is the shelf life of the cookies?
Four months. We’ve kept the cookies for a year and noticed a few changes, but we wanted to give consumer freshest product possible. We also thought if the product didn’t sell for four months on shelf, then it didn’t deserve to be there.
Are there any other products on the horizon?
We’re working on fruit snacks that our client is interested in us launching with them. But one of the things I never realized in all my years as a researcher developing products for clients is, after the product has been developed, what a challenge it is to get it to market. One of the good things is that retail stores are realizing they need to develop a health category that isn’t drugs or vitamins, but where consumers can find good-for-you, wholesome types of foods. ❖
WHYTHEVEMAG
BETTER DOUGH DIVIDER
TheVemagDough Dividerproduces uniformlyspaced doughportions ontotheconveyor, eliminatingdoubles anddowntime. Itcanbeeasily convertedtoa two-laneset-upto produceupto200 cutsperminute.
WhatmakestheVemagDoughDividersospecial? Versatilityandweightaccuracy.TheVemagDivider addsversatilitytoeveryproductionlineandis perfectforalltypesofbreads,buns,rolls andEnglishmuffins.Itfeaturesapositive displacementdoublescrewsystemthat isthemostgentleextrusiondivider onthemarket.TheVemagiseasily adjustabletoproducearangeof exact-weightportions,dough absorptionsandcrumbstructures. Seeforyourself–callustodayfora freeDVDortosetupademonstration.
Batchafterbatch,theVemag consistentlyproducespreciseweight portionsat1%standarddeviation.
TheVemagdoesnotrequiremineral oil,savingthousandsofdollarsannually whileeliminatingproductairpockets andsurfaceblisters.
TheVemagiseasilyadjustable toproduceawiderangeof portionsizes–from5gto20kg.
TheVemagiseasilyadjustedto producebothopen-crumband uniformtight-crumbstructures.
TheVemagcanhandleabsorptionrates from45%to95%–fromstiffbagel doughstosoftEnglishmuffins.
ReiserCanada 1549YorktonCourt#4,Burlington,ONL7P5B7•(905)631-6611
Reiser 725DedhamStreet,Canton,MA02021•(781)821-1290 www.reiser.com
Leadingthefoodindustryinprocessingandpackagingsolutions.
Summer’s here and it’s time for outdoor entertaining. Dawn makes it easy to plan your product offerings with ideas on light summer desserts including “Grab and Go” snacks. Look for fresh profit ideas including time saving concepts, recipe spin-offs and new product trends with Dawn’s Fresh Bakery Solutions program. For more innovative bakery solutions – contact your Dawn sales representative at 1-866-277-3663. dawnfoods.com
Very Berry Mousse Cake Dawn Fresh Bakery Solutions Summer 2008