June 2009

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Scenes from BAC Congress 2009

BY BRIAN HARTZ

HuNGRY FoR GRoWTH

I’ve been to a lot of trade shows recently, and it seems bakeries and the industries that supply them are busier than ever trying to sell, sell, sell. They’re working hard in this economy to get new clients and keep the ones they have. That’s an encouraging sign that points not only to the resilience of the industry, but also the dedication of the people who drive it to become bigger and better.

In mid-May, baked goods giant George Weston Ltd., buoyed by a first-quarter profit of $863 million, announced it was on the lookout for “huge opportunities” despite the slumping economy that has put the kibosh on many companies’ ability, or willingness, to endure short-term pain for the sake of long-term growth. The headline of the Canadian Press story about Weston’s financial report used the phrase “hungry to grow,” and while execs understandably kept mum about the company’s plans to expand, this bit of sunshine was an inspiring attention-getter in what has otherwise been a gloomy stretch of economic news. Meanwhile, across the pond, Greggs Plc, the U.K.’s largest bakery chain, said in January that it intends to capitalize on Britain’s first recession in 17 years by snapping up vacated stores so it can add new outlets.

}A recession can be a great time to expand, rather than contract or tread water, as less-prepared competitors fall by the wayside or downsize.

Granted, we can’t all be huge, resource-laden companies like Weston or Greggs, but whether you’re big, medium or small, a recession is no excuse not to look for growth opportunities. Businesses, even ones in the so-called “recession-proof” food industry, can’t afford to stand still right now, waiting passively for a turnaround. A recession can be a great time to expand, rather than contract or tread water, as less-prepared competitors fall by the wayside or downsize. This could mean physical growth such as acquiring new facilities or equipment, or market-share growth through advertising and public relations. If you’re a small retail baker and you buy a new piece of equipment, renovate or expand your shop, hire a new employee, or add a new product or service to your store, let your customers know. Hold an open house, use a banner to announce your news, extend your business hours for a week or two, offer facility tours, give freebies away to kids and families – anything to get people through the doors. That’s the kind of mindset that will help you get through these tough times.

If you need more ideas, try consulting your fellow Baking Association of Canada members. Whether you attended this year or not, please join me in congratulating the BAC on its superb Congress 2009 in Burnaby, B.C. It was a pleasure to see the baking industry come together to do business, make and renew connections, learn about new ideas and products, and have a great time in beautiful Vancouver. From the dinner cruise of the city’s waterfront to the evening with Michael “Pinball” Clemons – and, of course, the trade show, wedding cake competition, new product showcase and other business functions held at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre – it was an outstanding event from start to finish.

Last but not least, don’t forget about the annual Bakers Journal recipe collection, which will be packaged with our August/September issue and whose theme is “Classic Canadian Comfort.” We’re soliciting recipes for comfort foods, snacks and desserts such as cookies, muffins, bars, pies, cakes, etc. – but all contributions will be considered. If, like Weston, you are “hungry to grow,” this is a great – and free – way to promote your bakery, so e-mail those recipe ideas to editor@bakersjournal.com.

Happy reading.

June 2009 | Vol. 69, no. 5

EdiTor | Brian Hartz editor@bakersjournal.com 1-888-599-2228 ext. 250

TEChNiCal

EdiTor | John McColl, Puratos Canada jmccoll@puratos.com

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ProdUCTioN arTisT | Brooke shaw groUP PUblishEr | Martin Mcanulty mmcanulty@annexweb.com

PrEsidENT | Mike fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com

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briefly | Silver Hills Bakery unveils new look | George Brown seeks professor | BAC cake contest winners | New faces at Mettler-Toledo | for more news in the baking world, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com

George Brown seeks professor

The Chef School at George Brown College in downtown Toronto is accepting applications for the full-time position of baking and pastry arts professor.

The successful candidate will possess certification as a tradesperson in the field of baking and pastry arts with at least five years of relevant experience, in addition to previous teaching experience in the methodologies and trends of modern

patisserie work, dessert preparation/ presentation and merchandising techniques, paired with a working knowledge of wines and their suitability to desserts. Applications can be sent via the George Brown website at www.georgebrown.ca/Admin/hr/jobops.aspx. For more information about this opportunity, contact department chairman Keith Muller at 416-415-5000 ext. 2231.

BAC honours cake contest winners

At Congress 2009 on April 26-27, the British Columbia chapter of the Baking Association of Canada held a wedding cake competition to recognize the hard work and creative flair of baking/pastry students and professionals. The winners shared $3,500 in prize money compliments of the B.C. chapter.

The winners in the professional category were:

First Place: Saskia nollen of Cupcakes

Second Place: Stephanie Graziana of

Creating Occasions

Third Place: estrella Palomec of

McJac’s Roadhouse Grille

The winners in the student category were:

First Place: Valerie Low of Vancouver

Community College

Second Place: Meghan MacSween of

Vancouver Island university

Third Place: Tsukasa Shigihara of

Vancouver Community College

Bread Bakers Guild announces new campaign, General Mills support

SOnOMA, Calif. – The Bread Bakers Guild of America is kicking off its 2010-2012 fundraising campaign with General Mills’ renewed pledge as a Platinum Partner.

Pledge donations are crucial to the guild’s operations and make up about 35 per cent of its funding. The largest contributors to the guild are designated Metal Level donors: Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.

A Platinum Partner for the last nine years, General Mills has also supported the guild with donations of facilities, ingredi-

ents, resources and volunteer hours for Guild Master Classes, Bread Bakers Guild Team u.S.A., training, and Camp Bread.

General Mills’ commitment of uS$120,000 for the 2010-2012 fundraising cycle insures the guild’s ability to continue to be the premier source of baking education to its members and the u.S. baking industry. The guild’s fundraising campaign will continue throughout 2009 with a budgeted campaign goal of uS$450,000.

Silver Hills Bakery transforms packaging

VAnCOuVeR – Silver Hills Bakery unveiled its new look in April as rebranded bags of its sprouted whole grain bread were delivered to grocery stores in Canada and the united States. The re-designed packaging offers unique “bread-time stories” and a first glimpse of Silver Hills’ new brand personality developed by Karacters Design Group. Silver Hills says the new look is designed to appeal to a wider, health-conscious demographic and thus boost the company’s sales and broaden its customer base. For more information, visit www.silverhillsbakery.ca.

Plasport names new sales mngr.

TRAVeRSe CITY, Mich. – Plasport, a division of Plascon, has named industry professional Bob Robke sales manager for its line of form-fitting poly liners used in the food, chemical and biopharmaceutical industries.

Robke brings 20 years experience in the design, marketing and sales of various innovative packaging concepts involving FIBCs and poly liners for dry, viscous and liquid products. He will be responsible for expanding sales and capacity at Plasport, which specializes in liners for use in FIBCs, Gaylord boxes and IBCs, as well as Y-hood pallet covers and specialty liners.

Prior to joining Plasport, Robke held sales management positions with Scholle Custom Packaging and Container, and Pooling Solutions (CAPS). His involvement in the growth of these companies encompassed many aspects of the business, including manufacturing, management and development. Robke holds a degree in business administration from Ferris State university in Big Rapids, Mich.

Valerie Low, right, with judge Gerrit Doruiter. Saski Nollen

New faces at Mettler-Toledo

Mettler-Toledo Inc., a global supplier in-line check-weighers, metal detectors and x-ray inspection systems to the food industry, welcomes new members to its Hi-Speed and Safeline subsidiaries.

Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed has appointed Bob urban as operations manager. urban is a seasoned operations management professional and will oversee operations engineering, materials and production functions for the Hi-Speed line of check-weighers.

Throughout his career, urban has

focused on high-quality, lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement initiatives, most recently as president and plant manager of national Refrigeration Company in Honea Path, S.C.

Joel Medina joins Metter-Toledo Safeline as service parts supervisor. Medina will be responsible for all sales and promotional efforts related to the Safeline range of metal detection and x-ray parts and accessories. He previously served as an assistant service manager in the automotive industry for six years.

Pamphlet aims to educate on celiac disease

OTTAWA – Health Canada, the Canadian Celiac Association and the Fondation Québécoise de la Maladie Coeliaque have published a pamphlet titled Celiac disease – The gluten Connection. Aimed at people diagnosed with celiac disease as well as their friends and family, the document provides easy-to-understand information about celiac disease and steps that can be taken to manage it.

Celiac disease is an inherited medical condition in which the surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten, a group of proteins found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley. This damage causes the body to be unable to absorb nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Currently, lifelong avoidance of gluten in the diet is the only effective way to manage this disease.

A gluten-free diet can be challenging because it involves knowing what foods contain gluten and determining possible hidden sources of gluten in food products and drugs. It also involves a major lifestyle changes since many foods must be avoided, including pasta, many breakfast cereals and snacks, most breads and other baked goods. Symptoms include indigestion, nausea, abdominal bloating, gas, recurring diarrhea, constipation, anemia, and vitamin deficiencies.

Celiac disease affects approximately 1 in every 100-200 people in north America and is considered one of the most common chronic diseases. In Canada, up to 300,000 people could have this disease, but many remain undiagnosed.

To download Celiac disease – The gluten Connection, visit: www.hc-sc.gc. ca/fn-an/pubs/securit/gluten_connlien_gluten-eng.php.

Joel Medina

Bob Urban

BY MICHELLE

GooD THINGS CoME IN GREEN

With charges for plastic shopping bags coming into effect, the time could be right to adopt biodegradable packaging at your bakery.

When belts tightened this year, many pundits predicted eco-friendly solutions would be one of the first casualties. Seriously, all of this tree hugging is expensive and the business world will gladly furlough green initiatives, at least until the panic is over – right? Not so fast.

We got into this financial mess by sacrificing tomorrow’s stability for today’s immediate gratification and many consumers have taken these lessons to heart. Sustainability is the focus moving forward and, because green is here to stay, retailers need to think about which changes they need to make and also about how to implement these changes.

}Beginning in June 2009, the city of Toronto will make it mandatory for retailers to charge for plastic bags. Positive reinforcement administered as points or rebates to forgo plastic bags has gone only so far. Most customers were still leaving their canvas bags in the car and continuing to take plastic at the checkout. That little charge each time is more stick than carrot and intended to be more effective in diverting bags from landfills.

the optimal conditions for biodegradation to occur.

“Landfills don’t offer much in the way of oxygen, humidity or sunlight,” she says. “Archeologists have dug down in landfills and found fresh produce that hadn’t broken down over time. Less is best. It’s better to reduce the use of extraneous packaging at the outset.”

For bakeries relying on bags and boxes to get their beautiful creations from shop to home or event, plastic cake carriers and clamshell packages are staples. If the plastic is recyclable, isn’t that still OK?

“Often it comes down to dollars and cents,” Zweep says. “If one plastic in a bin has a different melting point than another plastic, that’s an issue for recycling. Sorting the plastics is very labour-intensive and therefore not very profitable. Unfortunately, most of it is ending up in the landfill anyway.”

industry and are lying in the wilds of B.C.

“The cutlery is very strong and the knives cut beautifully,” Wayland says.

So what options are available for bakeries

Should you decide to charge for plastic bags or eliminate plastic cake holders or clamshell packages from your operation, be prepared for a wide spectrum of reactions from customers and staff alike.

looking to green up their packaging program?

ZeroWaste Products Inc. in British Columbia distributes a number of sustainable solutions, such as reusable and printable non-woven polypropylene bags. They fold up discretely with a Velcro closure, making them handy to keep in a purse.

The Aspenware production facility runs on hydroelectric power in an effort to minimize any carbon output.

“Paper is a good fallback when some type of packaging is needed,” Zweep says. “Cake boxes instead of plastic cake holders or clamshells are good options. Paper bags instead of plastic are a viable alternative for those who need something to carry their purchases.”

Other municipalities are sure to follow and many major grocery retailers are already charging a few cents each for bags in their stores across Canada. If your store is in Toronto, the decision has been made for you; but if you do business elsewhere, charging for plastic bags might be a tactic you’re considering.

Biodegradable bags are an option, too. These are designed to break down in the presence of light, oxygen and humidity to a lower quality of their original form. This process is different from composting, which means micro-organisms consume the bag.

Carol Zweep, Guelph Food Technology Centre’s packaging and labelling services manager, says most landfills don’t provide

“It’s hard for people to get into the habit of remembering to bring their own bags,” says ZeroWaste’s Dyanne Wayland. “Our bag can be carried along at all times and we can print a business logo and tagline on the bag. Now, in addition to it being a sustainable solution, it provides a bit of advertising for the retailer.”

For operations wondering what to do about plastic cutlery, ZeroWaste also distributes a line of biodegradable forks, knives and spoons called Aspenware WUN (Wood Utensils Naturally). This cutlery is made using a process that laminates and molds aspen and birch veneer into attractive spoons, forks and knives. The wood used in the manufacture of Aspenware comes from birch and aspen trees that have already been felled by the forestry

Should you decide to charge for plastic bags or eliminate plastic cake holders or clamshell packages from your operation, be prepared for a wide spectrum of reactions from customers and staff alike. Some will applaud your environmental stewardship and others will see it as an inconvenience at best or a money-grab at worst. Your front-line team may bear the brunt of customer frustration and there will be questions they’ll have to field.

Give customers a few weeks’ notice before implementing any changes or additional charges. Make sure you arm your staff with answers to questions such as, “Are you donating part of the money you’re charging for plastic bags to an eco-charity?”

Make your business mantra “less is more” and consider returning to simpler options. Sometimes progress means coming full circle. / BJ

Michelle Brisebois is a marketing professional who specializes in helping companies grow their brands. She can be reached at briseboismichelle@sympatico.ca.

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As we approach the midpoint of 2009, what products and strategies are hot? | By

Bakeries’ growth tactics

What drives growth in your bakery in these challenging economic times? We e-mailed this question in an unofficial poll to bakeries across Canada and the United States. The responses are fascinating and inspiring, and full of ideas that others can implement as well.

}These bakeries are prime examples of the inventiveness, tenacity, market-awareness, creativity and optimism that characterise a bakery that will not only survive, but also thrive.

may even grow.”

Brian Hinton is president of Calgary’s Lakeview Bakery. His family has owned the organic and special dietary needs bakery for two decades. Lakeview employs 18 people and has sales of more than $1 million. Hinton provides his recipe for growth, focusing on two themes:

Many customers are driving to our store to purchase their breads, due to lower prices. People are going to the source, they want to see the operation, talk to the bakers, and save money by buying directly from us.

Smaller is better

Downsize the 6-package to four.

Richard Crossman is the corporate bakery manager for Artisano Bakery Café, which operates three cafes in Ontario – in Burlington, Oakville and Etobicoke.

“We have seen improvements in our bottom line through careful negotiating of prices from our suppliers, by expanding our product line, and offering specials,” he reported.

Artisano has also begun pushing catering with local businesses, and offering special-occasion cakes to customers who book functions. Plans include introducing a new line of breads geared toward the health-conscious consumer, and looking at bringing some of the pastry production back in-house.

“We started as a bread bakery with sweet goods mostly purchased from outside suppliers – made to our specs – and we are slowly bringing those back into our own operation, thereby improving our profit margins,” Crossman says.

Effad Sedky, the owner of Vancouver Croissant, a Burnaby, B.C.-based wholesaler of certified organic and non-organic croissants, is also calling for the type of pricelevel co-operation Crossman has negotiated.

“In crises, good people join hands to weather the storm,” Sedky responds via e-mail. “The key is helping each other. If the sellers reduce their prices, helping the cash-strapped buyers, we all survive and

• Although the customer will pay GST, the sticker price will appear smaller. Provide bite-size morsels in a pot

• (with lid) that fits a car’s cup holder –great for snacking in the car.

Go green

• footprint.

Promote local = trusted and small eco

Get rid of plastic. Back to the future:

• The French package products in a wax proof bag, something we used 50 years ago. “Green” can mean

significantly, the retail operation is thriving with consistent annual growth of 20 per cent over the past four years, including last year to-date. Haas suspects that the reasons for this include good control of customer service and quality, plus the fact that, although Haas product is high-end, consumers consider it an affordable luxury treat. Encouraged by the retail success, Haas will open a second retail store this summer in Vancouver on Broadway, next door to his old boss from New York City, Daniel Boulud, who is opening his DB Bistro Moderne in July.

At Vancouver’s Pane e Formaggio, owner David Nonni’s tactics focus on “not compromising but working harder and smarter.” His list:

Consistency of product, honest

• product (Nonni uses the term “honest” in the sense of no frills)

• (such as butter, not margarine “to save money”)

Using only good/natural ingredients

• products to increase bottom line substantially

Innovation – offering seasonal-type

•

Working closely with vendors

Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie’s Chai Bark gourmet chocolate snack.

Doing demos

• Branding of product/product

• recognition

Vera Kobalia of European Breads Bakery in Vancouver describes what is working for her business.

“Even in difficult economic times, B.C. customers care about their health,” she writes. “Our organic, natural and traditionally made products have not suffered. The trend is to buy less, but not poorer quality.”

According to Kobalia, it is important to connect to the customer by “offering value and promotions that people really care about. We did a promotion in April where 10 cents from each loaf was donated to Earth Day Canada. It was very well received by our customers. Green initiatives, sustainable options are definitely on their minds. Also, we have noticed that many customers are driving to our store to purchase their breads, due to lower prices. In general people are going to the source, they want to see the operation, talk to the bakers, and save money by buying directly from us.”

We also heard from several bakeries in the U.S. Lori Karmel, originally from Toronto, operates We Take The Cake gourmet cake boutique in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She describes her company as being in the celebration business as she e-mailed her thoughts on success.

“We have different segments of the market such as custom-designed cakes, custom cupcakes, wedding cakes (direct or through hotels), gourmet bundt cakes, on-line sales and wholesale to local restaurants, and local Whole Foods Market. We are a special-occasion business and people tend to continue to spend for a special occasion. Marketing with charities and public relations also helps to keep our name out there.”

Chrysta Wilson, founder and owner of Kiss My Bundt Bakery in Los Angeles,

says her bakery is in the experience and comfort business.

“I opened about a month after the bottom fell out of the economy. Still, I see my customer base growing – albeit slowly. On one hand, people are seeking basic comforts (i.e. baked goods). On the other, baked goods are an inexpensive ‘splurge,’” she says via e-mail.

“What’s helping my bakery grow is connecting my personal story to my product, and then creating an experience in my shop where people get a few minutes of comfort. They aren’t just buying a cake. They’re buying the experience of someone greeting them, asking them how they are, offering them a free sample of cake, and really providing a welcoming space.

“I’m taking the approach of trying to create a community bakery – a bakery that is a resident in a community. This is setting me apart from larger, more resourced bakeries. Customer service and experience and my product are the areas where I can compete.”

Michael Girkout, president of Alvarado St. Bakery, based in Sonoma County, Calif., is looking at the bakery business from the vantage point of a 29-year-old, employeeowned company that has seen 35 straight quarters of growth, boasts US$24 million in sales, and has U.S.-wide distribution and 120 employees. Alvarado St. Bakery is the nation’s oldest and largest co-operatively owned, certified-organic bakery.

All employees are shareholders, says Girkout, with every dime of profit going back to every employee equally, every quarter. Entry-level employees make around US$50,000 and turnover is virtually non-existent.

Instead of starting with sacks of flour, Alvarado St. Bakery starts by soaking raw whole-wheat seeds until they sprout, resulting in a flourless bread that even those with wheat sensitivity can eat. Their most popular bread is the “California Style Complete Protein Bread,” made with

sprouted wheat and sprouted lentils.

Girkout’s list of success factors:

Whole grains: Ever since the USDA revamped the “food pyramid,” there has been tremendous growth in products made with whole grains. In fact, the pyramid has been changed to include white flour/ refined flours to be in the same category as sugar (use in moderation.)

100 per cent whole grains: Even better (not all products that make the “whole grain” claim are 100 per cent whole grain). All of our breads are made with 100 per cent whole sprouted grains.

Low calorie: Our Essential Flaxseed bread has only 50 calories per slice (very low for bread). All the ‘bigs’ are introducing “100 calorie” packs of anything from cereals, chips, and Oreos to carrots and nutritional bars. Consumers are still counting calories and using that as a determining factor in making purchasing decisions.

Low fat: Still a hot category in breads. All of our products are made without any fat or oil added.

No salt: A growing market segment. People with high blood pressure or on a sodiumrestricted diet are looking for sodium-free or low-sodium products. Our No-Salt Multi Grain bread contains no added salt.

Low glycemic: Becoming more and more in demand as consumers are educating themselves on the Glycemic Index and looking to avoid highly processed foods. Human testing is required to determine GI of food products. Our Diabetic Lifestyles bread underwent testing that verified a very low glycemic index.

Organic: Hotter than ever. There isn’t a retailer in the country not looking at organic products. Now a household word ... organic products are available in every department from produce, dairy, bakery, and even meat and fish. We’ve been certified organic long before it was cool. / BJ

Alvarado St. Bakery bread (above); A selection of artisan breads at Pane e Formaggio in Vancouver (right).

Baker Street will tempt your taste buds with homegrown sweet and savoury delights | By

BrIan Hartz

thirty sweet years

years

Baker Street – not only a great song by U.K. rocker

Gerry Rafferty, but also a great name for a bakery.

However, this Baker Street is actually located on Hopewell Street in Toronto, in an unassuming grey building whose appearance belies the beauty and deliciousness of the products made inside it.

Founded in 1978 by two sisters – Mary Somerton and Esther Kravice, who remain actively involved in the business – Baker Street has grown from a humble home-kitchen retail operation to a major wholesale supplier of gourmet cheese spreads and cakes to grocery chains such as Loblaws, Sobeys, Metro, Pusateri’s and Longo’s as well as boutique markets, hotels, casinos, resorts and restaurants.

Despite such rapid growth, Baker Street has remained family owned and operated. Esther Kravice is the company president, while the sales team is made up of her son Jason and her husband Jerry Kravice. Her other son Dylan handles the finances and Jason’s wife, Marla Kravice, handles public relations and marketing.

}Mary Somerton is vice-president and very much involved with the research and development department headed by Denise Stemmler, a former culinary instructor at institutions such as George Brown College. Mary’s daughters Leah Somerton-Barr and Jessica Somerton are Baker Street’s plant manager and quality control director, respectively.

I used to work at Queen’s Park, as a legislative assistant for the NDP.

But I’ve found it’s much easier to influence people through dessert than politics.

of our customers is what keeps us going. We’re still at it because we have a lot to work for.”

carrot cake, are still around today, in their original formulations, more or less; while recently branching out with gourmet cheese spreads –herb, sun-dried tomato pesto and the popular red pepper jelly – has been a successful venture into an entirely new, non-dessert category.

For someone who’s been in the baking business so long, Mary Somerton has one of the more unusual backgrounds you might encounter.

“I used to work at Queen’s Park, as a legislative assistant for the NDP,” she says.

“But I’ve found it’s much easier to influence people through dessert than politics. I never thought it would turn into this, though – you couldn’t back then.”

“It’s been hard work, but the reaction

Judging by the diverse range of desserts and spreads Baker Street produces, the company’s influence is spreading not only to a variety of markets, such as those mentioned above, but also manufacturers of private-label and customized products.

“Our R&D team has become very highly respected in the culinary industry,” says Marla. “Chefs and restaurateurs looking for something new will come to Baker Street and ask us to develop products for them.”

Baker Street started off with a very simple lineup of products: carrot cake, pecan flan, classic vanilla cheesecake and chocolate cake. Some, such as the

“At the time they started, it was very much a male-dominated, pastry chefdriven industry,” Jason says, “and here came these two ladies with some great, solid, home-made recipes, and those became the foundation of a product line that essentially is still constructed the same way. Obviously some of the ingredients have changed but essentially the philosophy behind it hasn’t changed. And the trends have come full circle, especially with the way the economy is these days – these kinds of products are pretty standard on most menus.”

Baker Street isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel, but it is committed to innovation and wants to take traditional desserts to the forefront of culinary excellence.

A Baker Street worker puts the finishing touches on a batch of white chocolate cheesecakes.

“We’re taking these traditional flavours and putting a very current spin on them,” Marla says. “We’re making them more current, like taking cheesecakes and doing a crème brulee cheesecake.”

Jason agrees, adding, “The crème brulee cheesecake is a great example of a name and a flavour profile that’s recognizable to everyone, but we’re putting a twist on it. Turning crème brulee into a cheesecake is another way to get people to experience something they might have enjoyed when they were young, but with a new modern twist.”

Baker Street’s desserts have drawn rave reviews from The

Globe & Mail, The Toronto Star, The Sunday Sun and The National Post, with the Phantom Torte, the Palais Royale and the classic carrot cake garnering the highest praise. Its website, www.bakerstreet.ca, offers excerpts from these reviews as well as an online catalogue divided into four categories: jumbo cheesecakes, cheesy tortes, cakes and tortes, and pies and flans. Each item is accompanied with a mouth-watering professional photograph, a detailed flavour profile and an indicator of in what size – usually 8- or 10-inch – it’s available.

“We want to make the look of the dessert match the taste,” Marla says.

But not at the expense of a high-quality formulation, she adds.

“You can have something that’s beautiful to the eye and pleasing to the pallet that’s made with quality and fresh ingredients instead of dyes and impurities,” Marla explains.

“Over the course of 30 years we’ve seen consumers’ tastes change, to the point where people are much more conscious about natural ingredients. But one thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to using the finest ingredients. In the past we’ve been asked to go sugar-free or use sugar substitutes, but that is an area we won’t go to. Our products have always been of the highest quality and will always remain so.”

Adds Jason: “We don’t make any desserts that we wouldn’t take home to feed to our kids. If my two-year-old, six-year-old or eight-year-old won’t eat it, then we won’t produce it.”

Baker Street’s production plant is HACCP-certified and all products go through a metal detector and weight checker before being packaged. Also, individual batches of ingredients, no matter how minor, are entered into the HACCP tracing system.

During a tour of the facility Jason pointed out many of the other precautions staff were taking, ranging from proper sanitation to constantly monitoring the temperature of various parts of the plant. Temperatures are precisely controlled to ensure the highest level of quality and consistency in the products before they are packed and shipped.

Jason also pointed out the ingredient stock room, which was surprisingly sparse.

“We don’t keep a lot of stock on hand; it’s replenished on a daily basis,” he says. “The idea is to have the freshest ingredi ents and put them into the products as fast as we can and get those products into the customers’ mouths as fast as we can.”

Adopting HACCP standards, says Marla, “is about traceabil ity from when the ingredients were brought to the door to when the finished product goes out.”

From safety to innovation, Baker Street has found a solid formula for success while remaining a family-first business that hasn’t forgotten its roots. They also are savvy enough to know that no matter how bad the economy gets, dessert will never fall out of fashion.

“The biggest compliment we get is when we get a call from someone who’s planning a party and they start their planning with a dessert from us – they plan their entire party around it,” Marla says.

“I’ve found that more and more restaurants, major chains, supermarkets, or even individuals who are planning a dinner party … are starting with the dessert first,” Jason says. “It’s the last experience that your guest or your customer has with any meal. The dessert can make or break a good evening. It’s something that everyone can share and ooh and aah over. It’s just pure pleasure.” /

From left: Baker Street’s Jason Kravice, Mary Somerton, Esther Kravice, Leah Somerton-Barr and Jessica Somerton.

• Join 4,250 industry professionals including bakers (retail, wholesale, commercial), grocery and foodservice outlets

• Visit the trade show - over 200 companies in 35,000 sq.ft. showcasing ingredients, equipment, services, technology and baked goods (fresh, proof & bake, par-baked, freezer-tooven, thaw & serve)

• Learn at the informative seminars and workshops

• Located in the Toronto area, the facility is easily accessible by public transportation (Mississauga Transit & GO Trains), major highways, 5 minutes from the Toronto International Airport and provides plenty of free parking

• NEW Show Features

Held every other year, it is the only baking specific event produced in Canada

By

BrIan Hartz

t wo halves make a whole

Born in Ethiopia to Armenian parents and now firmly established in Montreal, the husband-and-wife team of Rita and Levon Djerrahian have starkly contrasting skill sets yet are perfectly matched as producers of some of the highest-quality cakes in Canada.

Together they run La Gâterie in Pointe-Claire, Que., where they turn out stunning pieces for weddings, graduations and other special occasions.

Readers might recall seeing Rita featured in our March 2008 issue. Since then, she has gone on to win the grand prize in pastry decoration at the 2008 Salon of Culinary Arts competition last November in New York City. As the winner of the competition, sponsored by the Société Culinaire Philanthropique, she received $1,500 and a medal of honour

from the French government, which has been recognizing the Salon’s promotion of French cuisine in the U.S. since 1912.

“I’m just a decorator, but I love what I do,” Rita says. “I’m just so happy that I can achieve what I am here for.

“It’s a passion,” she continues, gesturing around the austere interior of her studio.

“If I wasn’t passionate, this place would be a prison; there are no windows, so I can’t even tell if it’s snowing, raining or sunny.”

Levon, an engineer by training but graphic designer by trade, relishes the challenge of forging the elaborate structures upon which Rita works her decorating artistry, resulting in some of the most stunning novelty cakes to grace the pages of this or any other magazine.

He’s also an amateur pilot and dreams of someday owning his own airplane. Thus, it was no surprise to hear that one his

Rita and Levon Djerrahian at Rita’s La Gâterie workshop in Pointe-Claire, Que.

favourite recent projects was a Learjet cake designed for a client who was either very wealthy or very ambitious.

Over a cup of thick and delicious Armenian coffee, Levon showed us the Learjet cake photo during our early April excursion to Montreal for the SIAL food show. As he scrolled through the photos on his iPhone, he highlighted other recent triumphs, including an iPhone cake that was the spitting image of the device he held in his hand – but edible, of course.

Think what you will about the cultural implications of people eating cakes made in the likeness of Learjets and iPhones – a return to the “greed is good” days of the 1980s, perhaps? A Dickensian spirit of going from rags to riches and overcoming the recession? Maybe, maybe not – but what I took away from these creations was admiration for the skill of these two

Rita and Levon Djerrahian flying high with La Gâterie |

different but complementary artists.

“Specialty cakes are very popular right now,” says Rita, “and we’re doing more of them than wedding cakes. It’s a lot of work and a lot of dedication to detail, because each one is so different, but we do it because we love it.”

The couple agree hobbies and pop culture continue to be common themes for specialty cakes. Cars, trains, golf clubs, golf courses and, of course, airplanes are popular not only with customers, but also Levon, who relishes

the challenge of giving foundation and form to such complex designs.

“I want to make the cakes out of Kevlar, but I don’t think that would go over very well,” he says with a chuckle.

Levon could be forgiven for wanting to take a shortcut or two with the cakes – he’s busy handling Canadian distribution for Satin Ice, the popular rolled fondant cake icing made by U.S.-based Satin Fine Foods Inc., in addition to designing menus for restaurants in New York and Philadelphia. He also handles the day-to-day business of

SatinIce_HalfPage:Layout 1 3/2/08 10:09 PM Page 1

La Gâterie, which is the way Rita likes it.

“When the business arrives, I just say, ‘You take care of it and leave me alone; I just want to decorate’,” she says with a brilliant smile.

Whether it’s “the business” of doing business, creating beautiful cakes, or just telling the story of their success, these two halves of La Gâterie combine to make a fantastic whole. / BJ

Contact La Gâterie at 514-695-1444 or fondant@satinice.ca.

From left: La Gâterie’s iPhone cake, Rita’s grand-prize medal from the 2008 Salon of Culinary Arts cake competition in New York, and the Learjet cake.

Just the facts on la B els

As fast-food restaurants and other foodservice providers face pressure to list calorie counts and even full nutritional information on menus, the importance of proper labelling is coming to the forefront of issues facing the baking industry.

}In April, a war of words erupted between the Centre for Science in the Public Interest and the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association over Bill 156, a private member’s bill in Ontario that would require fast-food restaurants that do more than $5 million in business, to limit trans fats and provide nutrition labels on menus.

According to CBC News, the CRFA vice-president Stephanie Jones called Bill 156 “a huge step backward,” in that restaurant chains have already begun providing this information to consumers, and thus the proposed legislation would undo all the effort these companies have put forth so far.

Changes are coming to the way allergens must be listed on nutrition labels, and bakeries need to be aware of the new requirements ...

In rebuttal, CSPI national co-ordinator Bill Jeffery said those chains “have proven themselves to be much better at defeating nutrition labelling bills than delivering on their own promises to provide nutrition information to their customers.”

In the CBC News article, dated April 9, Jeffrey cited 2008 research by CSPI showing that “two-thirds of 27 restaurant chains ‘largely failed’ to give consumers nutrition information, and none of the 136 restaurants visited provided nutrition information on menus.”

To further muddy the waters, changes are coming to the way allergens must be listed on nutrition labels, and bakeries need to be aware of the new requirements to not only satisfy customers’ expectations, but also avoid fines and red tape.

Luckily, organizations such as the Guelph Food Technology Institute stand ready to assist. GFTC’s business development manager Carol Finlan and product development technician Lori Alexander appeared at Traynor’s Wholesale Bakery show in late March in Hamilton to

highlight how regulatory changes to product labelling will affect bakers.

In an overview of GFTC and the services it offers, Finlan stressed the need for bakeries to get any potential new products tested in a laboratory setting prior to putting them on sale.

“It’s very important as you’re trying to design a new product to record and keep track of these measurements because later on, when you want to produce the same batch again, you want to make sure you’ve really got the same product,” she told the audience of mostly retail bakers, “and the only way to do that is to have some basic measurements that you continue to look at.”

Also, having your products’ nutrition information certified by an organization such as GFTC can help keep you in the good graces of Health Canada and its enforcement agency; the Canadian Food Inspection Agency – especially, Alexander says, if you are making a health claim about your product.

“Anything that has to do with health or disease, Health Canada and/or CFIA will take a look at these claims,” she says, “and if your products are quite a bit off, they will make you take your products off shelves and re-label them.”

Alexander stressed that laboratory analysis is only one way of getting information for a nutrition label. It also happens to be the most costly method.

“Let’s say we have a cookie and we need to get a nutrition facts panel for it. How do we go about this? Laboratory analysis, nutrient database calculation, or a combination of the two,” she says.

“Laboratory analysis is testing samples of your product by chemical or instrumental means. It can be quite expensive. But sometimes it has to be sent to a lab, if, say, you are making a health claim, if you’re making a fortified product with more vitamins or minerals than our database can calculate, or if you are using ingredients that don’t have a lot of nutritional information available. For example, I just had a client come to me with seabuckthorn berries in their product. Those are fairly new to Canada and we don’t have them in our database, so that product would have to be sent to the lab.

“Nutrient database calculations use the nutrient content of the ingredients you are using, taking into account serving size of finished products. So we would use the product recipe, the ingredient information and anything else we could find

through our database. So what we need for this is nutrient content information for your ingredients. The best-case scenario is having spec sheets from your suppliers if you are buying in large quantities. Having that information is very beneficial for us in assisting you. We can plug that it into our database and give you a more accurate picture of the nutritional information. We can also use it to help you come up with an appropriate serving size for your product.”

All well and good, but how much do these services cost?

According to Alexander, the first label is $350 and each subsequent label is $125. However, for frozen or par-baked items that come with manufacturers’ labels, the cost comes down to $100 for the first label and $75 for each additional label.

OK, so do retail bakers really need nutrition labels on their products? Not always, Alexander says, but for the most part, yes.

“If you’re selling at farmers’ markets, you usually don’t need labels. I’ve heard of a few farmers’ markets that are requiring them because of demand from customers who want to know what they’re eating.”

The rule of thumb, she says, is:

nutrItIon faCts Panel requIreMents:

language: english and French, in equal prominence.

font: Sans serif.

type size: 1.6 mm or 1/16 inch.

Colour: Black or dark ink on a white or neutral background. If black is not one of the inks used on your package, you can use the next darkest colour, such as navy blue.

Layout and positioning: Must be printed on a continuous space – no cutting off corners. For difficult-to-label packages, such as pies and buttertarts, the nutrition facts can be printed in a pamphlet for the customer to take home and read.

Weights: Must be in grams; kilograms can be used if product weight exceeds 1,000 grams.

Ingredients list: With some exceptions, such as flavours and colours, must be written in descending order proportional to weight. Components of ingredients must also be listed.

shelf life: “Best before” date must be listed if shelf life is less than 90 days.

BAKER GIVES “STARTING FROM SCRATCH” A NEW MEANING Advertorial

Independent baker Fred Piechocki comes from a proud family of bakers. However, during the Great Depression, his grandfather, Stanley, and father, Edward, lost their bakery. As a result, this third generation baker had no recipes or business to carry on.

So what did Fred do? He started his bakery from scratch. In 1979, Fred opened The Cakery Bakery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ten years later, he moved to Warrington, Pennsylvania, where he and longtime friend, Henry Stoughton, opened the Warrington Pastry Shop. Fred describes his business as a European style, traditional bakery where products are baked from scratch every day.

Best known for the 60 to 100 decorated cakes it produces a week, Warrington Pastry Shop also turns out 10 to 15 wedding cakes a weekend during prime wedding season. It is also well known for Danish, regular cakes, cupcakes, butter cakes, cinnamon buns and donuts.

“My greatest accomplishment is to consistently produce a high-quality product,” said Fred. International® Bakers Services has played a key role in maintaining this quality.

“When I started out, I received a sample of International® Bakers Services B&V® and I have used IBS flavors ever since,” Fred recalled. His bakery also uses chocolate, banana, rum, coconut and hazelnut flavors. “I am very happy with IBS products,” Fred stated. “They are easy to use, very consistent and economical. Most importantly, the flavors hold up.”

“Using ingredients that will keep product quality high will make you proud to be an independent baker,” Fred advised. If you value consistent quality, you should get to know International® Bakers Services Contact us toll-free at (800) 3457175, 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.

“Anything that’s prepackaged has to have a nutrition facts panel.

“So if you’re packaging it the night before, then putting it out to sell the next day, you must have a label. But if the

client is coming in and picking out the cookies they want, and then you put them in a bag, then you don’t need a label, but it’s something you should be prepared to offer if they want it.”

allergens

As noted above, changes are coming to the way allergens are identified on food packaging. Firstly, Health Canada has proposed a new bilingual labelling statement, “Allergen and Intolerance Information – Contains …,” that will be required on packaging. At the moment this information is voluntary, but Alexander predicts it will be mandatory within a year.

“But because you are responsible for your consumers’ safety, allergens are something you’re going to want to identify on your labels regardless,” she says. “This can be done through complete and accurate listing of ingredients, implementing allergen-prevention programs, and cautionary labelling. Cautionary labels are the ones that say, for example, ‘May contain peanuts.’”

However, Alexander says, a bakery cannot use cautionary statements in a generic way, in lieu of using prevention programs in its facility.

“You have to know what’s going on, what else is being processed, what else is going through the lines. You can’t just say ‘may contain …’ and list all the allergens in a blanket statement just to get yourself off the hook.”

Secondly, Health Canada is trying to quash the use of the term “traces” as it relates to the amounts of allergens in food products.

“It is no longer acceptable because it can be misleading for consumers,” Alexander says. “It implies that there is only a very small amount of that allergen when in fact there could be a lot. There’s no way of knowing for sure.”

Finally, the actual list of allergens will be changing. Currently, the nine allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, eggs, milk, seafood (shrimp, crustaceans), soy, wheat and sulfites.

“Instead of just wheat,” Alexander says, “all gluten-containing ingredients, such as rye and barley, will have to be listed as allergens.”

The Baking Association of Canada has weighed in on this issue with criticism of the new labelling statement as well as Health Canada’s timeline – 12 months – for compliance with the new regulations. For more information, see the BAC Newsletter in the January/February 2009 issue of Bakers Journal. / BJ

Contact Lori Alexander at 519-821-1246, ext. 5042, or lalexander@gftc.ca.

show B uy hits sweet spot

SMYRNA, Ga. – Ed Allen, owner of Sweet Eddie’s, a manufacturer of cinnamon rolls and other baked goods, hopes to return to Pack Expo Las Vegas to find technologies that will help him improve efficiency and facilitate future growth. A visit to the last show led to the purchase of a horizontal wrapping machine and a transfer printer that helped boost speed and supply individually date-coded products.

Allen founded Sweet Eddie’s in 1998 as a small retail outlet serving cinnamon rolls to local customers. Eventually, the company evolved into a wholesale business serving major airlines. The company then transitioned into the food service industry with sales to national retailers, food service accounts and distributors.

}As the company’s business model evolved, so did its product offerings. Aside from the specialty cinnamon rolls that have been produced since day one, the company also produces various cakes and cookies.

ate future, but if the opportunity presented itself, we would consider going international.”

WraPPIng tHe Way to InCreaseD effICIenCy

With several transformations behind it, Sweet Eddie’s is now an established distributor to the food-service industry.

To keep pace with the influx of business, Sweet Eddie’s required new wrapping and date coding equipment that would improve the overall line efficiency. Allen headed to Pack Expo in search of both items, knowing he’d meet several potential technology partners and would be able to compare system features and options.

After some post-show follow-up, Allen moved forward with the purchase of a

Prior to this purchase, we only date coded boxes of items, rather than each individual one. The new system changed that, ensuring our customers knew they were getting the freshest product possible.

Pearl horizontal wrapping machine from PFM Packaging Machinery Corp. and an 18 Series thermal transfer printer

colour-touch screen allows users to adjust all the machine settings and save them for regular automatic adjustments to bag length, print registration position, positions of the crimpers, the dwell and the wrapping speed.

The Pearl replaced a smaller wrapping machine from PFM, which Sweet Eddie’s had outgrown. Installing the new system allowed the company to wrap its products faster and more efficiently, resulting in a significant increase in daily productivity and output.

Special features of the Pearl horizontal wrapping machine further improved the efficiency of Sweet Eddie’s operations. A “no product, no film” function saves on packaging waste costs by immediately halting the machine’s crimper and stopping the machine if there is no product on the line. This ensures that no bags will run on the line without product inside. The system’s “product out of place” function stops the line if it senses a product is positioned incorrectly, preventing machine jams.

Additionally, the servo-driven Pearl simplified operations and reduced the amount of manual labour for employees. The computerized settings enabled

over the years, and we’ve been fortunate to experience steady business growth throughout,” Allen says. “There are no major changes planned for the immedi

From Nita’s ShellShock labelling machine to Lesaffre’s SAF-Instant Premium yeast, Bakers Journal keeps you “in the know.” For more on new products for the baking industry, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com

Burford smart seeder/topper

MAYSVILLe, Okla. – With one-touch setup, Burford’s 9840 and 9940 Smart Seeder/Topper systems automatically adjust their settings to provide a more accurate coverage and seed savings. Pan guides, sensor location, seed quantity, hopper height, nozzle height and mandrel recognition are fully automatic. Accurate topping coverage and seed savings are a given from operator to operator by automating the setup process. For more information, call 1-877-BuRFORD (287-3673) or visit www.burford.com.

saf-Instant Premium yeast by lesaffre MILWAuKee, Wis. – Lessafre Yeast Corp.’s SAF-Instant Premium is granular, free-flowing yeast for use in doughs with sugar levels of

nita shellshock labelling machine

LACHenAIe, Que. – Made in Quebec, nita’s ShellShock clamshell labelling machine is designed specifically for the baking industry. It can not only automatically add labels to the top and the bottom of clamshell packages, but also in a C-shaped tamper-evident seal. It also boasts print-and-apply ability, allowing the operator to change ingredient listings on the fly. Other features include peel plate with top brush kit, laterally adjustable belts, label positioning brushes, and precision rulers for easy setup.

For more information, contact Claudio napoleoni at 450-961-4000, ext. 233, or visit www.nitalabelingequipment. com.

no-time doughs and high-speed processes. It can provide finished products with significantly larger volumes and has a much better oven spring. It can also reduce your dry yeast usage by as much as 30 per cent in most formulations.

For more information, call 1-877-677-7000 or visit www.lesaffreyeastcorp.com.

belt life and prevent unexpected breakdowns. Its tension tests utilize the company’s proprietary Tension Gauge, which records belt tension throughout each tier in a spiral. By analyzing the results, Ashworth can make recommendations to correct any unforeseen or potential problems.

The Ashworth Tension Gauge can

luten-free cornbread mix

KIAH, Calif. – Pamela’s Products has launched a new gluten-free cornbread and muffin mix.

Packaged in 12-ounce bags, the new gluten-free cornbread mix can be used to bake cornbread muffins, cornbread, cornbread dressing, sweet and savory tart crusts and many other delicious variations.

Pamela’s Products Glutenfree Cornbread & Muffin Mix provides a gluten-free alternative to this traditional food. The mix can be morphed into savory and sweet recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All of Pamela’s Products baking mixes may be used in place of wheat-based mixes. For more information, visit www.pamelasproducts.com.

measure spiral belt tensions of up to 650 pounds with tier spacing as low as two inches. It can operate in freezing and ambient conditions, so tension measurements can be taken in fully operational freezers and coolers. The Tension Gauge can be used on any spiral belt. For more information, see www. ashworth.com or call 1-800-682-4594.

Munson’s new mixer

uTICA, n.Y. – Munson Machinery Co.’s new Inline Miniature Rotary Batch Mixer blends batches up to 5.0 cubic feet (142 litres) in parts as small as one per million with complete uniformity in less than three minutes, evacuates the batch with no residual, and can be sanitized rapidly with no tools.

Model 700-TH-5-SS features a stationary inlet and outlet for inline operation, and a rotating drum with proprietary mixing flights that tumble, turn and fold material gently, imparting minimal energy to the batch while rapidly achieving uniformity regardless of disparities in the bulk densities, particle sizes or flow characteristics of batch ingredients.

The mixer is said to be equally efficient across its useable capacity range of 5.0 to 0.25 cu ft (142 to 7.1 liters). Batch weight capacity of 500 lb (226 kg) is standard, with higher capacities optional. For more information, call 1-800-9446644 or visit www.munsonmachinery.com.

Jungle

Buddies and Dancer by DecoPac

DecoPac’s new Jungle Buddies DecoSet features a gorilla, elephant and lion, three of kids’ most favorite jungle animals.

gyrdis gxl crepe machine

CHICAGO – Gyrdis has been making baking molds and automatic crepe machines since 1970. The latest addition to its crepe machine range, the GXL, uses state-of-the-art technologies to meet the needs of creperies, bakeries, caterers and restaurants. With the GXL, cooks can make crepes up to 36 centimetres in diameter with the ability to vary crepe thickness and doneness, using wheat and buckwheat flour mixes and flours free of preservatives, artificial colors and GMOs. The user can select the 36-centimetre diameter (one crepe at a time) or the 20-centimetre diameter (two crepes at a time). GXL guarantees an output of 180 to 360 crepes per hour depending on the chosen diameter and will automatically stack 35 to 40 crepes without any handling. For more information, call 312-327-5260 or e-mail contact.ftpo@ubifrance.fr.

Suitable for any occasion, this DecoSet is gender neutral and sure to be a hit at parties.

Ciranda sustainable palm shortening

HuDSOn, Wis. – Ciranda has released the ecoSocial-certified Palmfruit organic shortening to support sustainable, fair trade agriculture in the tropics. Palmfruit palm products are produced by AgroPalma and certified by IBD Brazil. The ecoSocial certification assures that Palmfruit oils are produced in a sustainable way that is preserving the environment and bringing economic and social benefits to communities.

For more information, visit www. ecosocialnet.com or www.ciranda.com.

The trendy Dancer DecoSet features a dancer plac with a removable backpack clip. Check them out at www.decopac.com or call 1-800-DeCOPAC to order.

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

BY D R . Jo HN M ICHAELIDES

A CLoSER Look AT EGGS

Continuing our series on the basic ingredients of baking, what is the function of eggs and egg products in baking, what is new in this area, and what are the alternatives?

Eggs and egg products are important ingredients in the manufacture of baked goods, and although in the past their contribution to dietary cholesterol has been cause for concern, recent emphasis on their nutritional value and new scientific investigations has led to a more balanced opinion; thus, consumer perception of eggs has improved.

This article will deal briefly with eggs’ nutritional value, health benefits and basic chemical composition, but the main focus will be on their role as a functional ingredient in baked goods.

}Eggs contain a high amount of water, with approximate moisture levels of 73 per cent for whole eggs, 49 per cent for yolk and 86 per cent for egg whites. The typical physical composition of eggs is 10 per cent shell, 58 per cent whites and 32 per cent yolk. Eggs without the shell contain about 65 per cent whites and 35 per cent yolk. These ratios are important to know when formulating baked goods with different egg constituents, and especially dried egg products.

and vitamins – that are essential for the human diet. But the functional properties of the proteins in egg whites are substantially different. For example, ovoglobulins have high foaming and whipping properties. On the other hand, ovomucin, with high viscosity properties, is very effective in stabilizing foams. The combination of these two properties enables us to produce angel-food cakes with large volumes.

In baking, eggs and egg ingredients are most commonly used in cake production. They are an essential ingredient in such formulations – and often the most expensive.

Eggs are crucial in cake batters because they are multifunctional. They contribute to the leavening, water control, tenderizing, volume, texture and other attributes of the finished product. Egg whites contribute to the leavening action of angel food and sponge cakes as

Many attempts have been made to develop alternatives to eggs that will perform as replacements. However, it’s proven extremely difficult to completely replace egg functionality in baked goods.

well as in binding for snack cakes, and yolks control viscosity in doughnuts.

All egg products contribute to the texture and flavour of baked goods. Their binding and stabilization action in combination with gluten enables batters to form a complex matrix in which, at the oven stage, the proteins coagulate to form the cake’s rigid crumb structure.

flavour is transferred to the cakes. It is therefore important to select fresh eggs or ingredients made from fresh eggs for such products.

Eggs also contribute to the colour of the finished product. In particular, egg yolks are important in yellow cake formulations, while particular attention should be paid to the selection of egg whites when formulating angel-food cakes.

Yolks contain substantial amounts of lipids and protein while whites are almost completely free of lipids. Egg whites contain a high amount of protein as their major constituent, but it is diluted in a solution because of its high amount of water.

Many types of proteins are present in egg whites, and they play different roles in food formulations. The proteins in eggs are considered highly nutritious. In fact, ovalbumin, one of the major proteins in egg whites, is one of a few pure proteins that contain all the nutritionally essential amino acids.

Eggs contain other nutritional components – such as lipids, minerals

This is particularly important for light foam type cakes. For heavier cakes in which the eggs are not whipped, the egg protein films are also important because of their leavening action – they trap and retain the gas generated by the baking soda.

Another important function eggs contribute to cakes is their tenderizing action. The proteins of egg whites, although very functional, result in toughening of the cake crumb. Egg yolks are responsible for counteracting this effect, resulting in more-tender cakes, and the components responsible for this action are the lipids in the yolk. Eggs are normally mild in flavour, but when used in high amounts in a formulation this

Eggs can be sold as whole, yolks or whites, and are available as an ingredient in three basic forms: liquid, frozen or dried.

It’s essential that eggs and egg products are safe and devoid of any pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella. For this reason, manufacturers usually pasteurize liquid eggs at temperatures between 60 and 62 C for not less than 3 1/2 minutes.

Frozen whole eggs, whites and yolks are pasteurized first and then frozen. The whole egg is mixed into a homogeneous mass and then pasteurized prior to freezing. A small amount of salt, sugar or glycerine is added to prevent coagulation.

Dried egg ingredients are a convenient and safer alternative for large manufac-

turers of baked goods. These ingredients are produced either by spray drying or pan drying. Although pan drying was the original method, spray drying is the preferred method because in combination with certain additives it will produce eggs that are equal in performance to the fresh ones. Freeze drying with control heat is another method of drying but is considerably slower and more expensive.

Recent advancements in research have found uses for some of the egg proteins beyond food applications. For example, the proteins lysozyme and avidin can be used as antimicrobials, while new research in the processing of eggs has led to increased performance in food applications.

Eggs, particularly egg yolks, are well known for their emulsification properties. Treatment of egg yolks with specific enzymes will result in an increase in their emulsification capacity. This is important for mayonnaise manufacturers because it allows them to reduce the amount of yolk in their formulations without compromising the quality of the finished product, while at the same time producing a lighter product. Such an enzymatic

modification will also result in improved performance of egg yolks in the manufacture of baked goods.

Because of their importance and cost, many attempts have been made to develop alternatives to eggs that will perform as replacements. However, it’s proven extremely difficult to completely replace egg functionality in baked goods.

Alternatives have been developed from soy and whey protein concentrates and isolates, but it is important to remember that when considering these alternatives for reformulation, a substantial amount of experimentation is required to achieve good results. / BJ

Funding for this report was provided in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Adaptation Council’s CanAdvance Program.

Dr. John Michaelides is Guelph Food Technology Institute’s director of research and technology. For more information, or fee-for-service help with product or process development needs, please contact GFTC at 519-821-1246 or gftc@gftc.ca.

ronDo Doge BeCoMes ronDo

BuRGDORF, Switzerland – Rondo Doge has become ROnDO, the result of a strategy and branding process at the Swiss-Italian manufacturer of bakery machines and systems.

The new brand will also manifest itself in the new names of individual companies worldwide. The Rondo Doge Group becomes the ROnDO Group. All companies in the ROnDO Group will have ROnDO as their company name.

The headquarters of the ROnDO Group, which has used the traditional name of Seewer AG, has been renamed Rondo Burgdorf AG.

ROnDO began a process to redefine its strategy and brand in 2007.

“The challenge was to develop new international positioning that fits in with the segment ‘sheeting and shaping dough,’” said ROnDO Group CeO Robert Rohrer. “With the new brand we have managed to create an unmistakable international identity that perfectly embodies our values.”

already well known for top quality and consistent our, is now promoting ORGANIC:

e organic wheat selection process is extremely rigorous, it begins with lab milling of samples; which are then farinograph and bake tested. Only the best organic samples are accepted and extensively blended to give the best bake results of any organic our in the world, TRY IT, you’ll be amazed!

#2024, 7445 – 132nd Street, Surrey, B.C. V3W 1J8

E-mail: Dand@rogersfoods.com

Phone: 1-866-590-4900 or 604-590-4900

Fax: 604-590-4800 www.rogersfoods.com

¦ concepts for success ¦

BY D IANE C HIASS o N

‘GREEN’ YouR LABELS AND PACkAGES

‘Greening’ your bakery with these simple steps can attract new customers, reduce costs and boost your profile

In aspiring to become a more environmentally friendly business, it’s time to start thinking about real, sustainable practices that you can apply to your operation. By going green, you can not only can save money on frivolous expenses such as extra paper, bags and fancy packaging, but perhaps even increase sales by attracting a new clientele of environmentally conscious shoppers, as well as by using reusable green products to advertise your name.

And let’s face facts: Conscientious shoppers today will feel a whole lot better about purchasing products from an environmentally friendly supplier. Psychologically, your greener packaging and labelling will also convey a feeling to your buyers that your products are also more healthful and nutritious.

}added incentive for customers to purchase the bag, throw in a free loaf of bread or half a dozen cupcakes when someone buys a bag.

3. sell PlastIC storage ContaIners

You can sell environmentally friendly plastic carrying cases made with PLA plastics and branded with your logo. The carrying cases should have handles and a cover, and be made to fit standard sizes of cakes, cupcakes, muffins, breads and other products. Customers can use them not only for purchasing items at your store, but also as a practical storage system to use in their homes, or for carrying their baked goods to social occasions. You again receive added exposure, as they will bring your brand name into other people’s homes.

Let’s face facts: Conscientious shoppers today will feel a whole lot better about purchasing products from an environmentally friendly supplier.

Here are a few steps you can take to make your bakery a greener place to shop:

1. u se C orn- B ase D PaC kag I ng for PlastIC ContaIners

Make the switch from petroleum-based packaging to corn-based products (PLA), which are biodegradable. Corn-based plastic containers, forks, knives, plates, cups, etc., break down easily, and so are considered more environmentally friendly, as most cities still do not recycle plastic containers.

2. Create a reCyClaBle ClotH Bag

Design your own recyclable cloth bag that is clearly branded with your logo. This will ensure free advertising to your operation, as your customers will not only use your bag when shopping at your store, but also walking down the street and into other stores. Sell your bag for a reasonable amount, and as an

4. enCourage CustoMers to BrIng tHeIr oWn Bags anD Boxes

Offer a small discount to customers who bring in their own bags, boxes or containers to take your products home, and use this discount as another incentive for your customers to purchase more products.

5. use natural ProDuCts

Instead of using regular ribbon for cake boxes, or tie twists or elastics for plastic or cellophane bags, consider using natural products like raffia or eco-ribbon to tie up your products. By tying a piece of raffia to your products, you will also convey a sense of homegrown earthiness and European style, and add a touch of elegance to your products.

6. attaCH a HanDMaDe or HanD-PrInteD laBel

To create a more organic, homemade feel for your products, consider creating labels by hand. Use sturdy,

recycled paper cut into label sizes and handwrite – in clear and concise penmanship – the information and prices of your products. Use a holepunch to punch a hole in the corner of the label, string a piece of raffia or eco-ribbon through it, and tie it to your bags of breads and other baked goods.

7. use stICkers or laBels for BranDIng

Instead of spending extra money on costly fancy paper bags and boxes, consider getting a roll of stickers and labels printed with your branding and affixing them to generic recycled bags and boxes. You can also use these stickers and labels on your gift baskets.

8. PrInt all Menus on reCyCleD PaPer

Make sure any paper products that you have in your bakery – including menus, flyers, recipe handouts, tent cards or other point-of-sales materials – are all printed on recycled paper. You should also have a clearly mapped out recycling program for recyclable products, green bin for compost and small trash bin for actual garbage for customers to throw out their trash. Use pictures and signs to make sure customers know into which bin they should throw waste.

9. researCH WHat you Buy

Ensure your printer has a chain-ofcustody certification, which ensures that the printing company has all the proper structures and processes for you to be able to print certifications and logos for your packaging and labels to give your store eco credibility. / BJ

Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping food service, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for more than 25 years. She provides innovative food and retail merchandising programs, interior design, marketing and promotional campaigns, and much more. Contact her at 416-926-1338, toll-free at 1-888-9266655, e-mail chiasson@chiassonconsultants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com

company also saw a reduction in changeover time.

“Workers have found the new machine to be very user-friendly,” Allen said. “We don’t change the product out on the machine too often. However, if we were to run cookies for three hours and switch to running muffins for six hours, it saves time to have the automated settings.”

Though the machine is primarily used to wrap the company’s cinnamon rolls, it also has the capability to wrap other offerings in different sizes, leaving the door open for future expansion.

neW Date CoDer offers IMProVeD ProDuCt safety

The trip to Pack Expo also led to the purchase of an 18 Series thermal transfer printer from Markem-Imaje to meet customer demand for date-coded individually wrapped products.

“Prior to this purchase, we only date coded boxes of items, rather than each individual one,” Allen explains. “The new system changed that, ensuring our customers knew they were getting the freshest product possible.”

The 18 Series features real-time digital coding, a 1mm gap between prints, a dockable LCD handheld user interface and the ability to set automatic date rollover, eliminating manual type changes. The compact coder is designed to maximize the use of ribbon consumables to reduce waste. It requires little maintenance and allows the user to change information instantaneously, for reduced downtime.

lookIng aHeaD to exPansIon Allen looks forward to fostering future growth for his business with the help of more innovative packaging technology. He plans to be at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2009, possibly with his production manager in tow, to search for more cost-saving and productivity enhancing equipment.

“Pack Expo is a great forum for small companies like Sweet Eddie’s,” Allen said. “The show houses a lot of good ideas for growing a business and being able to shop comparatively among many potential suppliers in one place is an efficient way to find what you need.”

Pack Expo Las Vegas 2009 takes place Oct. 5-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information, see www.packexpo.com or call 1-703-2438555. / BJ

The InnoSealer may help to reduce the risk of injury from repetitive motion activity such as twisting ties.And the labor savings can add up to 50% or more.If you are ready to introduce tamper resistant closures to your customers, contact InnoSeal for Innovative Sealing Solutions.

BAKERS

❏ Hotel, Resort

❏ Institution, Hospital ❏ Baking Supplier ❏ Other

2009 milling guide &

ADM MILLING CO.

7585 Danbro Crescent, Mississauga, ON L5N 6P9

Contact: David Newhook, 905-819-7000

Fax: 905-819-9768

Plants: 2 Montreal, QC; Mississauga, Midland, Port Colborne, ON; Winnipeg, MB; Medicine Hat, Calgary, AB.

Sales offices: Moncton, NB. 506-852-4345; Montreal QC, 514-846-8533; Toronto, ON 1-800-267-8492; Medicine Hat, AB 403-5262876; Calgary AB, 403-267-5656; Vancouver, B.C. 604-299-0710.

Products offered: A full flour and mix product line for the bakery, donut, muffin, food service, biscuit, pasta, frozen, in-store bakery, pasta and industrial segments. Other products offered are stoneground whole wheat, cracked wheat, graham and cereal bran and rye flours.

ANITA’S ORGANIC GRAIN & FLOUR MILL LTD.

43615 Yale Road, Chilliwack, BC V2R 4J6

Phone: 604-823-5543

Fax: 604-823-5546

e-mail: john@anitasorganic.com www.anitasorganic.com

Products offered: Anita’s Organic sells a wide range of certified organic and kosher flours, grains, seeds, pulses, cereals and mixes in retail, wholesale and bulk sizing. Our milling strength is in fresh stone-milled whole grain flours. Our flours have not been treated with any chemicals such as pesticides or preservatives. We mill fresh every day and quickly turn the inventory. We are a great source for ancient grains and industry leading niche products as well as all purpose flours. Custom bulk milling orders in 1 metric tonne sacs are also one of our strengths along with export services.

Company Comments: Anita’s Organic has been stone-milling for 18 years in the Western Canadian market. Our aim is to take care of the customers needs before, during, and after a delivery. We believe in pure and simple ingredients that are fresh and full of natural nutrition. We are a versatile, efficient and friendly company ready to meet the needs of the organic baker and food company.

BIANCA INTERNATIONAL ORGANIC INC.

7174, Marquette, Suite 1, Montreal, QC H2E 2C8

Contact: Chakib Azizi – Purchasing agent; technical assistance: France Beauchamp

Phone: 514-376-7711

Fax: 514-729-2100

e-mail: bioorganic@videotron.ca or biologique@videotron.ca

Products offered: Certified organic ingredients – NOP: organic grains, organic flours, organic nuts, organic seed kernels, organic oils, organic fruits, organic culinary ingredients, organic flavours.

Delivery: By truck – bags or bulk.

Distribution: Depending on the customer location, we have a number of warehouses.

BRANT FLOUR MILLS

RR 4, Scotland, ON N0E 1R0

www.brantflourmills.com

Contact: Volker Storjohann, 1-866-484-2921

Plant: Oakland, ON

Products offered: Rye flours, rye meals, and corn products. Certified organic. Custom milling.

Delivery: Shipped by truck throughout Canada and U.S.A.

Major customers: Bakeries and distributors.

CAN-OAT MILLING

PO Box 520, Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 3W1 www.can-oat.com

Contact: Jude Bachalo, 204-857-9700, 1-800-663-6287

Fax: 204-857-6287

Plants: Portage la Prairie, MB; Saskatoon, SK. Products offered: regular rolled oats, quick cooking rolled oats, instant rolled oats, baby rolled oats, oat bran, oat flour, whole oat groats, steel cut oat groats, custom specialties.

Delivery: North American and global. Minimum order – truckload volume. Shipment by rail or truck – bulk, bag, tote. Distribution: Direct to customer.

Major customers: Major cereal manufacturers, snacks and baking industries, industrial users.

DOVER FLOUR MILLS (P & H Milling Group)

140 King St. West, Cambridge, ON N3H 4T3

Contact: Dan Vida, 1-800-621-0588

Fax: 519-653-2125

e-mail: dvida@dovergrp.com www.dovergrp.com

DOVER FLOUR MILLS (P & H Milling Group)

HALTON FLOUR DIVISION

45 Church St. West, Acton, ON L7J 1K1

Contact: Bruce MacIntyre, 1-800-608-7694

Fax: 519-853-0446

e-mail: bmacintyre@dovergrp.com www.dovergrp.com

Products offered: Flours – stone-ground, whole wheat, all-purpose, bakers milled to specification, pastry flour, cake flour, fibre flours, fibre bread and muffin mixes, rye-bread mixes, calorie-reduced bread mixes, pizza crust mixes, wheat bran, wheat germ. Others –doughnut, muffin, cake and cookie mixes, rye and corn flours, rolled oats, oat bran, organic flours; hard, soft and whole wheat.

Delivery: Across Canada, delivered by truck and rail.

Distribution: Direct from Plant and numerous baker supply distributors.

Assistance offered: Product development, trouble-shooting, consulting and technical services for bulk storage.

Company Comments: Dover Flour Mills, part of the P & H Milling Group has been milling fine flour products at the same location in Cambridge, Ontario since 1807. In 1968, our sister company, Dover Mills Limited, began milling flour in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dover Industries acquired the assets of Halton Flour Milling in May of 2003. The Acton, Ontario mill is being operated primarily as a bulk flour facility producing both hard and soft wheat flour for the Ontario and Quebec market.

Dover is a leader in the development of new products for the baking industry. We provide not only the flours but the formulations the baker needs to produce new products for tomorrow’s nutrition-conscious consumer.

DOVER FLOUR HALIFAX (P & H Milling Group)

P.O. Box 2185, 730 Marginal Road, Halifax, NS B3J 3C4 www.dovergrp.com

Contact: Dave Bryson, 902-429-0622, 1-800-663-6837

Fax: 902-423-9075

e-mail: dbryson@dovergrp.com

Plant: Halifax, NS

Products offered: Enriched flours, no-time flours, bread flours, natural flours, whole wheat flour, pizza flour, cracked wheat, farina, wheat bran, whole grain; bread, cookie, muffin, cake and doughnut mixes and custom-blended mixes; cake and pastry flours, corn and dark rye flour, course rye-meal, rolled oats, oat bran, oatmeal and yeast. Dover also produces private label flour, mixes and bases.

Delivery: Serves Atlantic provinces with company-owned bulk tankers and delivery trucks, containers and common carriers.

Distribution: Sells direct as well as through local wholesalers.

Major customers: Bakeries throughout Atlantic Canada and off-shore.

Company Comments: Dover Flour Halifax is part of the P & H Milling Group. The mill began producing in Halifax, N.S. in September, 1968. We mill our flours primarily from Canadian Western Red Spring Wheat known for its consistent quality and baking characteristics. Dover also mills soft wheat flour and has a dry bakery mix Plant operation.

Dover Flour Halifax is committed to supplying competitively-priced, consistently high quality products, milled, blended and packaged to individual customer requirements for both local and international markets. Our mill is staffed by highly-qualified technical millers with over 180 combined years of experience in the industry. In our laboratory, a team of specialists assure the quality of every shipment, develop new products and work closely with our customers.

Our management and staff are dedicated to quality products and service with many years of Canadian and international food trade experience, we are sensitive to the varieties and specific needs of our customers.

DOVER FLOUR MONTREAL

(P & H Milling Group)

380 Oak Street, Montreal, QC H3K 3G2

Tel: 514-934-3234

e-mail: mduval@dovergrp.com

Contact: Guy Boutet 514-934-1443, 1-866-934-3234

e-mail: gboutet@dovergrp.com

Fax: 514-934-5069

Products offered: Enriched flours, no-time flours, bread flours, natural flours, whole wheat flour, pizza flour, cracked wheat, farina, wheat bran, whole grain; bread, cookie, muffin, cake and doughnut mixes and custom-blended mixes; cake and pastry flours, corn and dark rye flour, course rye-meal, rolled oats, oat bran, oatmeal and yeast. Dover also produces private label flour, mixes and bases.

Delivery: Serves Quebec with bulk trailers, delivery trucks, containers and common carriers. Major customers: Bakeries throughout Quebec and U.S. markets.

Company Comments: We mill our flours primarily from Western Red Spring Wheat known for its consistent quality and baking characteristics. Dover Montreal is part of the P & H Milling Group and is committed to supplying competitively priced high quality products to meet customer needs.

2009 milling guide & directory

DOVER FLOUR SASKATOON (P & H Milling Group)

75 – 33rd Street East, PO Box 160, Saskatoon, SK S7K 3K4

Toll Free # 1-888-313-6837

Contact: Jerry Dmytryshyn; 306-667-8016

Fax: 306-667-8129

e-mail: jdmytryshyn@dovergrp.com www.dovergrp.com

Products offered: Enriched flours, no time flours, bread flours, whole wheat flours, organic flours, pizza flours, cracked wheat, bran, barley Flour and pot and pearl barley. Dover also produces private label flour for the retail and wholesale markets.

Delivery: Across Canada, U.S.A and off shore. Distribution: Direct from Plant and numerous bakery supply distributors.

Company Comments: Dover Flour Saskatoon is part of the P & H Milling Group. The mill began producing flour in Saskatoon on February 1st, 1949. We mill our flours primarily from Canadian Western Spring Wheat, known for its consistent quality and superior baking characteristics. We are strategically located in the heart of the Canadian Prairie wheat growing area. Dover Flour Saskatoon is committed to supplying competitively priced, consistently high quality products, milled, blended and packaged to individual customer requirements for both local and International markets.

ELLISON MILLING COMPANY

(P & H Milling Group)

PO Box 400, 1301 2nd Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB T1J 3Z1

Contact: Bob Grebinsky, 403-328-6622

Fax: 403-327-3772

e-mail: bgrebinski@ellisonmilling.com

Products offered: A complete line of spring wheat flours, soft wheat flours, rye flours and meals, durum semolina, durum atta and durum patent.

Distribution: Direct and distributor network covering British Columbia, Alberta and California. Direct delivery available throughout Canada and the United States. Offshore shipping globally.

Delivery: Bags in 10kg, 20lb, 20kg & 50lb. Bulk by totes, truck and rail.

Major customers: Retail and wholesale bakeries. Pasta and food manufacturers. Foodservice

and traditional retail under Ellison brand and private label.

Company Comments: Ellison Milling Company, a Canadian owned company, is celebrating 100 years in business and is part of the P & H Milling Group. Located in Southern Alberta in the heart of the grain growing area and strategically situated on key distribution routes. Our strength is in our ability to consistently deliver flours that meet each customer’s specific needs.

FARINART INC.

180, Saint Jean Baptiste St, Saint Guillaume, QC, J0C 1L0

Contact at the Plant : Mrs Julie Theberge

Phone: 1-866-327-4627

e-mail: jtheberge@farinart.com

Sales office : Mrs Mickie Foale

Phone: 514-774-3499

e-mail: mfoale@farinart.com

www.farinart.com

Products offered: Ecocert, Kosher and Halal certified. Farinart is a Canadian leader in the production of grain blends and flours both traditional and organic for bakeries and food manufacturers. Delivering top quality grain blends and flours along with innovative processing solutions, superior expertise, product consistency and best in class service.

Distribution: We deliver across Canada and overseas.

Delivery: 20 kg bags, tote bags and bulk products.

Company Comments: We are a friendly and versatile company that can adapt to our clients’ requirements.

GRAIN PROCESS ENTERPRISES LTD.

115 Commander Blvd., Scarborough, ON M1S 3M7

Contact: George Birinyi, Carl Griesser 416-291-3226

Fax: 416-291-2159

New products: Chia (Salvia Hispanica), Teff Flour, Organic red fife flour, red wine flour. Products offered: Over 1,000 items including a full range of whole grains. Hard/soft wheat, triticale, corn, millet, barley, rye and durum and organic products certified by QAI (whole wheat flour, white flour, “ancient grains” spelt, kamut, quinoa, seeds, etc.) Precooked and stabilized grains and flours, complete range of grains including cracks, flakes and grits, seeds (sunflower, sesame, golden [yellow] flax), beans, peas, lentils, sugars, nuts and dried fruit. Food processing also includes custom blending facilities for multi-grain formulas (bread, muffin and pancake mixes, etc.) packaging, granola cereals, turbinado and demerara sugars, roasting and toasting, hemp flour, whole bean flour, white bean flour.

Distribution: Across Canada and the U.S. Major customers: Bakeries, biscuit and cookie manufacturers, food service, bulk, health and

2009 milling guide &

natural food retailers and distributors and manufacturers.

Company Comments: We pride ourselves as being the only stone flour mill in Canada to offer such a wide variety of products. Our test laboratory and kitchen can develop custom mixes and specialty grains to suit any application in the food industry.

HEMP FLOUR, MIXES & OILS

2133 Forbes Rd., RR1, Barrie, ON L4M 4Y8

Phone: 705-730-0405 or 1-800-240-9215

Fax: 705-730-0556

www.hempola.com

e-mail: info@hempola.com

HOWSON & HOWSON LTD.

232 Westmorland St., PO Box 390, Blyth, ON, N0M 1H0

Contact: Doug Howson, 519-523-4241

Fax: 519-523-4920

e-mail: doug@howsonandhowson.ca

Dan Greyerrbiehl, 905-792-2962

Fax: 519-523-4920

e-mail: dgreyerbiehl@rogers.com

Plants: Blyth, ON

Products offered: Durum semolina, durum flours, durum whole wheat semolina, Atta flours.

Deliveries: Bulk truckloads, bulk bags (750kg), 20kg bags, 40kg bags, 50lb bags and 100lb bags to Ontario, Quebec and United States.

Distribution: From Blyth, ON, Plant by truck or distributors.

Major customers: Manufacturers of dry pasta, fresh pasta, frozen pasta, and snack crackers. Assistance offered: Technical assistance.

Company Comments: Howson & Howson Ltd have been quality wheat millers for over 133 years. We are continuously modernizing our durum mill in order to supply our customers with high-quality durm semolina durum flour and other durum products.

Products offered: Bread, cake and pastry, durum, rye and other specialized flours, milled oat and bran products – many formulated specifically to customers needs.

Delivery: To all of Canada by rail or truck. Minimum order varies.

Distribution: From Plants, regional warehouses and local distributors, depending on product location.

Major customers: In-store bakeries, independent bakery retailers and wholesalers, food service operations, major supermarket chains and grocery stores, cereal processors, biscuit manufacturers.

INFRAREADY PRODUCTS (1998) LTD.

850C 56th Street East, Saskatoon, SK S7K 5Y8

Contacts: Mark Pickard, Angela Vaadeland 306 242 4950

Fax: 306 242 4213

e-mail: info@infrareadyproducts.com www.infrareadyproducts.com

Plant location: Saskatoon SK

Certifications: AIB, OCIA, Kosher, Halal

Delivery: Bulk tote bag, 20kg, 25kg, 50lb and 55lb

Products offered: Over 250 unique, custom designed products, including precooked cereal grains, oilseeds and pulses in whole, bumped, flaked, meal, flour and blended form.

Major customers: Bakery, breakfast cereal, biscuit & cookie, cracker, baby food, food service, energy bar, snack food, soups and readyto-eat meal manufacturers.

Company Comments: InfraReady is located in the heart of the Saskatchewan prairie, close to the most abundant farm land in Canada. We are committed to open, honest and transparent communication with our customers, striving to offer them the unique, safe and healthful ingredients that consumers demand.

KRAFT CANADA INC. MISSISSAUGA MILL

27 Reid Dr., Mississauga, ON L5M 2B1

647-258-1090

Contact: D. Welch, 647-258-1062, M. Duffin, 647-258-1051

HORIZON MILLING G.P.

Horizon Milling G.P. offers a complete line of Robin Hood® branded products as well as custom developed products and technical services to the Canadian baking industry.

®Robin Hood is a registered trademark of Smucker Foods of Canada Co., used under license. 190 Attwell Dr., Suite 400, Etobicoke, ON M9W 6H8

Contact: Elaine O’Doherty, 416-679-2600 www.horizonmilling.ca

Plants: Mills in Montreal, QC, Saskatoon, SK, bakery mix Plants in Burlington, ON and Saskatoon, SK.

Fax: 905-826-4852

Plant: Mississauga, ON

Products offered: Soft wheat flours for pastry, biscuits, crackers, tarts, waffles, wafers; hiratio cake flour; strong baker’s patent; food grade bran and wheat germ.

Delivery: Ontario and Quebec.

Major customers: Biscuit and cracker manufacturers, baking mix manufacturers, bakery trade.

Assistance offered: Flour technical service and up-to-date wheat market information.

Company Comments: We specialize in consistent quality custom soft wheat flours, both

bulk and bags, as well as food grade bran. We will manufacture a bulk flour to your needs and specifications.

NEW-LIFE MILLS LIMITED (P & H Milling Group)

252 – 14th Street, PO Box 219, Hanover, ON, N4N 3C5

Contact: Don Silk

Phone: 519-364-3260, 1-800-265-5510

Fax: 519-364-6951

e-mail: orders@newlifemills.com, dsilk@newlifemills.com

www.newlifemills.com

Plant: Hanover, ON

Products offered: A full line of flour including cake, pastry, all purpose, strong bakers, clears and whole wheat. Specialty products include red bran, white bran, cracked wheat, heat treated, whole grain, organic hard, organic soft, organic bran, high-fibre, tortilla and pizza flours.

Distribution: Bulk, bag and tote deliveries on company owned tankers and trailers, also available through major bakery distributors.

Major customers: Wholesale and retail bakeries, food processors, artisan bakers, cookie and biscuit manufacturers, producers of frozen and par-baked bakery products and the foodservice trade.

Assistance offered: Product development, onsite trouble shooting, dedicated customer flour inventory, a fully equipped modern laboratory and test bake facility.

Company Comments: New-Life Mills Limited, a proud Canadian company is part of the P & H Milling Group and is celebrating 100 years in business. We manufacture quality flour and cereal products on three of Canada’s most modern flour milling units. Our objective is to custom mill products of consistent high quality, backed with outstanding customer service.

NUNWEILER’S FLOUR CO.

Box 28009 RPO E. Kelowna, Kelowna, BC V1W 4A6

Contact: Ross Nunweiler 1-888-726-2253

Fax: 1-888-688-2288

e-mail: nunwlr@shaw.ca www.nunweilersflour.com

Plant: Alsask, Sask.

Products offered: Organic whole grain wheat flour, organic whole grain dark rye flour, organic whole grain all-purpose and pastry flour, organic whole grain spelt flour, organic whole grain buckwheat flour.

Distribution: B.C. – Snowcap Enterprises, Snowcap Interior, Aarsen City Delivery.

Major customers: Retail and wholesale bakeries, specialty product bakeries, retail mass market and natural food stores.

Company Comments: Our flour mill is a QAI certified organic facility located in Saskatchewan with sales and operations office located in British Columbia. We process only certified organic 100% whole grain flour in our low temperature, impact mill. There are no additives, preservatives or blending included in our flour. Only the whole grain is milled into our premium quality flour. Since 1988 we have been producing flour for consumers wanting wholesome and nutritional food.

NUTRASUN FOODS LTD.

PO Box 1695 Dewdney Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan S4N 4N0

Phone: 306-751-2040

Contact: Neil Moore, Marketing Manager, 306242-2515; Cell- 1-306-281-3110

Fax: 306-751-2047

www.nutrasunfoods.com

Certification: NutraSun Foods Ltd. is certified Organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI), Kosher Certified, ISO 22,000 Certified, and H.A.C.C.P. Certified.

Delivery: We deliver product across Canada and the United States as well as shipments offshore. Products offered: NutraSun offers both organic and conventional hard red spring and hard white wheat flours as well as whole grain flours packed in 10 kg, 20 kg, or 50 pound bags, bulk totes, bulk trucks and bulk rail. We also offer organic and conventional bakery, bread and pastry mixes and cracked grains packed in 10 kg, 20 kg and 50 pound bags and 600 grams up to 2.5 kg re-sealable pouch packs for the industrial, bakery and retail markets.

Major customers: NutraSun serves industrial and retail bakeries as well as retailers selling consumer packed re-sealable pouches.

Company Comments: NutraSun Foods is a division of Paterson Global Foods, a wholly owned Canadian company which has been serving the Canadian agricultural and food industry for over one hundred years. NutraSun is a fully modernized mill located in southern Saskatchewan, the heart of Canada’s hard red and white wheat growing region. NutraSun Foods contracts directly with producers across Western Canada in sourcing

2009 milling guide & directory

the highest quality grain to ensure consistency and quality for our flour and mixes.

PERMOLEX LTD

8010 Edgar Industrial Crescent, Red Deer, AB T4P 3R3

www.permolex.com

Flour Contact: Randy Cook, Flour Contact, General Manager, 403-347-7557

e-mail: rcook@permolex.com

Gluten Contact: Jay Piester, 913-685-9163

e-mail: jpiester@permolex.com

Plant: Red Deer Alberta

Products offered: Vital wheat gluten and flour

Distribution: Red Deer, Alberta, Saskatoon, Sask., Seattle, Wash.

PIZZEY’S NUTRITIONALS

Box 132 / Main Street S., Angusville, MB ROJ 0A0 www.pizzeys.com

Contact: Eric Borchardt, Mktg. Mgr. 608-329-2800

Fax: 608-316-8504

e-mail: info@pizzeys.com

Products offered: Milled and whole flaxseed, flax/fish oil blend

Major customers: Retail and wholesale bakeries, food, beverage, nutritional and supplement companies.

Company Comments: Pizzey’s is an integrated team dedicated to selling the science and benefits of flaxseed. We are experts in the flaxseed industry and have been the leading provider of superior quality flaxseed products for over 15 years. Our MeadowPure quality system guarantees the stability of the products we sell. Our impressive in-house lab can assist you with a variety of analytical and technical services. Our innovative products can provide you with a competitive or nutritional advantage in your current or future product lines. We look forward to hearing from you!

PORT ROYAL MILLS

240 Industrial Parkway S., Aurora, ON L4G 3V6

Contact: Kresho Petrovich 905-713-1712

Fax: 905-713-0074

e-mail: portroyal@primus.ca

Plant: Aurora, ON

Certifications: HACCP, Organic OCPP, Kosher Kashruth

Products offered: Stoneground flours, flaked, cracked, and pearled grains including: hard and soft wheat, rye, barley, triticale, spelt etc. Importers and distributors of other fine bakery ingredients. Delivery: Direct throughout most of Ontario Major customers: Bakeries, cookie manufactur-

ers, frozen dough Plants, bakery mix manufacturers and food processors.

Company Comments: At our milling facility in Aurora, Ont., we meet the continuing demand for whole grain milling and custom blending. We at Port Royal continue to provide the highest quality products and personalized service to our customers.

RANDOLPH & JAMES FLAX MILLS LTD.

401 – 13th Street E., Prince Albert, SK, S6V 1E2

Contact: Randolph or James Boschman, 306-764-1463 or 1-800-667-1176

Fax: 306-922-3529

Products offered: “Northern Edge” milled flaxseed, “Northern Edge” flax bread bases.

Distribution: Western Canada – BakeMark Ingredients Canada Ltd. Central Canada – John Vince Foods.

Major customers: Scratch bakeries, large and small, frozen dough & par-bake manufacturers, bulk food, health food stores and pharmacies. Company Comments: All of our products are formulated with high linolenic acid flaxseed, milled for bio-availability and vacuum-packaged to ensure freshness. Contains no trans fatty acids.

PRAIRIE FLOUR MILLS LTD.

11 Janzen Rd., Box 301, Elie, MB R0H 0H0

www.flour.com

Contact: Canada: 1-888-99FLOUR; United States: 1-800-49FLOUR

Products offered: All major hard spring flours, high gluten and specialty bread flours and a line of organic flours. Kosher certified.

Major brands: P500 Enriched Bakers, P400 All Purpose, P500Q Short, Fermentation Flour, P1200 Whole Wheat, Organic White and Organic Whole Wheat

Major customers: Retail, wholesale and food service distribution and manufacturers.

Deliveries: By rail and truck across Canada and United States. Available bag size 10 to 1,000 kg bulk.

ROGERS FOODS LTD. (Flour

Mills)

#2024, 7445 – 132 St., Surrey, BC V3W 1J8

Contact: Sales – Dan Dobin; Technical Sales – Rudy Bergen; 604-590-4900 or 866-5904900

e-mail: info@rogersfoods.com Fax: 604-590-4800

Products offered: A full range of hard and soft

For more than a century, ADM has provided superior f lours crop to crop, year to year. Because we believe there is no substitute for success.

bakery flour including: Whole Wheat: coarse, fine, organic and stone-ground. White: bakery, unbleached, organic and pastry. Rye: light, dark and coarse rye meal. Cereal Products: wheat bran, oat bran and 9 grain. Flaked Products: wheat, rye, triticale and a variety of cereal products.

Delivery: By truck – bags or bulk.

Distribution: Trailer loads – direct, less than trailer loads through distributor: Snow Cap Enterprises Ltd. – Burnaby (604-515-3200) and Interior Division (250-546-8781).

Company Comments: Rogers Food Ltd., operates British Columbia’s only commercial-size flour mills in Armstrong and Chilliwack. The company specializes in bulk deliveries and is able to offer overnight delivery to Vancouver, Seattle (WA) and Portland (OR).

SPEERVILLE FLOUR MILL

152 Speerville Rd., Speerville, NB E7N 1S2

Contact: Todd Grant, GM 506-277-6371, 1-866-277-6371

Fax: 506-277-1006

Products offered: Over 130 certified organic products: stone ground flours, cereals, pancake and baking mixes, multigrain products, cooking oils, dried fruit, low-gluten products, sugar, salt, baking powder, beans, nut butters and many other Maritime-produced products. Also a line

2009 milling guide & directory

of non-organic stone-ground wheat flours.

Distribution: Atlantic Canada

Major customers: Bakeries, grocery stores, natural food stores, distributors

Company Comments: The only certified organic flour mill in Atlantic Canada celebrating our 26th in business. We provide even more of the highest quality products than before. Thanks to our loyal customers!

WESTGLEN MILLING LTD.

Division of ConAgra Limited Box 4615, Barrhead, AB

Contact: Mick Noel, 780-674-3960

Fax: 780-674-2024

Plant: Central region of Alberta.

Products offered: Thick, old fashioned rolled oats, quick oats, large old-fashioned rolled oats, oat bran, oat flour, whole oat groat, barley flour, pearled barley.

Delivery: With a variety of packaging methods we are able to meet our customer’s needs, from 22.7 kg to bulk. From truck to rail or vice versa. Major customers: Supplier of high quality barley and oat products to the commercial trade. Company Comments: Westglen is ideally located in the prime oat-growing region in Alberta. Our location also provides for good logistics to any destination in the world. Our focus is on quality and customer service. High quality hu-

man consumption oat and barley products are what we produce. Quick solutions to customer needs, wherever they may be, are one of our many strengths. Allow us to help you.

Dawn foods expands distribution network

eTOBICOKe, Ont. – Dawn Foods, a world leader in the manufacturing of bakery ingredients and finished bakery products, has expanded its customer approach with a distribution service program offering a complete line of products to serve bakery customers in Ontario and Quebec.

For more information, call 416-207-2635 or e-mail adfernandes@dawnfoods.com.

2K1 E-mail: sales@torontobakery.com

• 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

ALBION BAKERY SUPPLIES

(DIVISION OF A & L FOOD DISTRIBUTORS INC.)

SUPPLIER OF FROZEN AND RAW INGREDIENTS FOR THE BAKING INDUSTRY

176 SHELDON DRIVE, CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO N1R 7K1

TELEPHONE: (519) 623-5140 FAX: (519) 623-1421

1-888 KWIK LOK (594-5565)

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

Tel: (416) 252-4660 Fax: (416) 252-9993

25 - 8 Connell Ct., Toronto, ON M8Z 1E8

- SERVICE - PARTS

Manufacturers of Nicholson Custom Ovens and Proofers, Rack Ovens, Revolving Tray & Tunnel Ovens. Distributors for: ~ Belshaw ~ Lucks ~ Wilton ~ Oliver ~ Bakery Crafts ~ Novelties ~ Bloemhof ~ Decopac ~ Smallwares ~ Gum Paste Flowers & Fondants

ADM Milling Co.

Anita’s

www.anitasorganic.com

Annex BookStore

Baking Association of Canada

Dawn Foods OBC www.dawnfoods.com

Dealers Ingredients 33 www.dealersingredients.com

Dover Flour

Grain

- Calculates product cost including

and overhead

- Unlimited number of ingredients

- Unlimited number of process steps

- Calculates Gross Margin/Selling Price

- Calculates nutrition content of recipes

- Prints NLEA and Canadian nutrition labels

- Includes 6600 ingredient database

- Accounts for nutrient changes during processing, including moisture loss and fat loss/gain.

- Includes Trans Fats

- Calculates Net or Effective Carbohydrates

BY STEPHANIE o RTENZI

A SuMMER oF ITALIAN SWEETS

A whiff of almond conjures memories of a simpler time and connections with a father’s past

You smell like almonds,” my father said with a broad smile from behind the wheel of the car.

He was picking me up from my shift at an Italian bakery, where I worked the summer I was 17, and, because he was usually stern with me, I did a double take.

“Who are you?” I thought, as he put the car into gear and, still smiling, drove us home.

Now, I get it. He was having a Madeleine Moment – my name for a transcendent memory evoked by a pleasing experience with food. The Madeleine Moment gets its name from the French sweet-cake of the same name and became famous in literature thanks to Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust. Book One begins with the narrator sitting in a café, innocently enjoying a madeleine with his coffee, and his first bite sparks a rush of vivid memories and emotions that inspired the telling of the story.

}The bakery was a place to be a different kind of Italian, the kind that spoke Dante’s Italian. We spoke only dialect at home. The elegant ladies would look dignified, but with an air of superiority, waiting their turn. They wore perfectly tailored clothes and exquisite shoes. They spoke to me in the subjunctive, which made the Italian even more beautiful. I would play fast and loose with “Si, Seniora,” as if I were a pro, and then I’d stumble trying to give them their total in Italian.

I gave myself credit for trying. They were rarely impressed.

Daremo Bakery was a shiny new shop in a new strip plaza in a new subdivision not far from home. Dario and Remo were the baker-partners, an odd-couple team that pumped out beautifully crafted breads and sweets, and the long queues proved it.

They made diplomatici, coronetti, cannoli, amaretti, biscotti and special-

Being Italian, and not really wanting to be, was very confusing for me at the time. The bakery was a place to be a different kind of Italian, the kind that spoke Dante’s Italian.

As a literary conceit, the madeleine did very well for itself. Today, it’s a foodie archetype. It represents how a seemingly innocent experience with food can connect us emotionally to our memories. Anyone who has ever taken pleasure in food has had one.

For my father that night – thanks to the almond-flavour molecules on my work smock, which I was still wearing –the smell of almond took him to a summer outdoor wedding in Italy when he was a boy, finding a stash of almond cookies in a corner of the kitchen, filling his pockets, getting his friend and running off to some hideaway to stuff themselves with sweet, joyful bliss. Thanks for that, Daremo Bakery. My father thanks you. Thanks also for the cultural experience.

Being Italian, and not really wanting to be, was very confusing for me at the time.

occasion cakes, as did every baker in town who wanted a piece of the Italian market. These delicacies were made just as they were in pre-war Italy, where Remo’s teachers had learned their techniques, which in turn Remo had passed on to Dario.

These products are icons, like the croissant. North Americans will buy many variations on the idea of a croissant, but if you’re French and you walk into a French bakery looking for a croissant, you have a precise expectation. In the Italian version of this scenario, Dario and Remo nail it.

Although they were temperamental opposites, they were a good team. Dario was in his mid 20s, recently married to a beautiful young woman who walked on eggshells around him. Dario was muscular, broad and handsome, and prone to angry outbursts. Remo was slight and compact, quiet and almost always smiling. He and his wife had two small children, upon whom he doted. His wife’s presence in the bakery was felt

every day at lunchtime.

One of my pleasures was watching Remo organize his lunch at a corner of the work table, usually a cutlet with swiss chard or rapini, or cold cuts and cheeses, fried peppers and mushrooms, olives and picked eggplant, and a fresh tomato or two. He would take a loaf from the last batch, and pull it open with his hands as if it were a roll and build a giant sandwich that he would share with Dario. Sometimes lunch would also have last night’s lasagna or a thermos of minestrone. He would lay everything out in front of him on the crumpled waxed paper everything had been wrapped in, and he’d pour himself and Dario a glass of wine from a jug they kept on a bakeshop shelf beside the extra virgin olive oil.

When they began to peel a piece of fresh fruit and eat it off the tip of their paring knives, I knew espresso would soon follow. Then Remo would reach for his cigarettes and offer one to Dario, or vice versa, and then it was back to work. / BJ

Stephanie Ortenzi is a food marketing writer and blogger at www.pistachiowriting.com.

Parrish & Heimbecker Limited is pleased to announce the formation of the P&H Milling Group. Canadian owned, the P&H Milling Group will become Canada’s second largest flour producer. Built on the strength of seven flour mills, the P&H Milling Group is strategically located across Canada and has a long and rich history in flour milling. The newly formed group will continue to serve customers’ needs, focusing on their regional strengths and will continue to provide high quality grain based products with a commitment to delivering customer value each and every day.

For more information about our flour mills or any of our other products please contact the sales and service representative in your area at:

Ellison Milling: Lethbridge, Alberta 1- 403-328-6622

New-Life Mills: Hanover, Ontario 1-800-265-5510

Dover Mills: Halifax, Nova Scotia 1-800-663-6837, Montreal, Quebec 1-866-934-3234, Cambridge, Ontario 1-800 621-0588, Halton, Ontario 1-800-608-7694 or Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 1-888-313-6837