May 2011 by annexbusinessmedia

Bakers

Wedding Trends

What couples want today

BETTERLOOK I N G GOURMET COOKIE

A T R U E S T O R Y : We met a baker who was producing gourmet cookies –heavy, thick cookies with lots of large chunks of chocolate, fruits, nuts and other inclusions In an effort to increase production, she went from hand-scooping to a wire-cut cookie machine However, she ran into big problems with the wire-cut machine: she couldn’t maintain portion control; her large chunks were getting cut into smaller, less impressive ones; and the remaining chunks were smeared under the cookie dough

Then she called Reiser. The solution was our Vemag cookie dough depositor with a guillotine cutoff Even at high production speeds, the Vemag allowed her to run all of her recipes with precise portioning accuracy. Her chocolate chunks and inclusions came through whole And the guillotine cutting system actually exposed the chunks and inclusions Now she is able to produce mouth-watering cookies with great eye appeal that out-sell all the other cookies in the bakery case

¦ editor’s letter ¦

By Laura a iken

in vOgue

The spring cleaning period has passed, and we’re into summer shopping. It’s time to beef up the wardrobe, and I’ll admit I love shopping season. The recent culmination of writing about wedding trends, reading about food developments and leafing through the pages of Vogue in pursuit of ideas for my closet really got me thinking about what trends mean in the overall scheme of things for designers, whether they design wedding cake or footwear.

One of our mandates at Bakers Journal is to spot consumer shifts in behaviour to help our readers anticipate what the market will look like down the road, whether next year or five years from now. Some of these changes are movements that become permanent behaviour and others are passing fads. Determining which is which is tricky. Passing fancies are often cyclical and can stick around past their predicted longevity (like all things 1980s).

How you do (or don’t) incorporate these consumer habits and desires into your bakery can certainly make a difference in your near and far future bottom line. But when you get right down to what’s in vogue, there’s a trait that never goes out of style: individuality. Brands and people become leaders with a recognizable presence of their own when they know what it is that they do better than anyone else, and this one thing is often a niche within the overall line. In fashion, the most successful designers are considered the very best at one thing, and although that one thing may shift in shape with the trends, it is timeless and pervasive. See: Chanel and tweed suits or Louis Vuitton and luggage. These are signature items like a signature dessert. And they are very specific.

}some of these changes are movements that become permanent behaviour and others are passing fads. determining which is which is tricky.

It is great to want to be the best bakery in town, but consider the monumental task of making all of your products better than anyone else’s. It’s easy to underestimate the time and energy that goes into being the best at anything, and when you really look at those who are considered to be in the company of greatness, it’s often one or two things they do, or some aspect of their operation that defines them and that just can’t be replicated. Consequently, they become the go-to business for that one item, and of course sell other things to these same customers, even though someone else may be doing these other things better. Being a professional at something means wearing many hats and knowing your strengths and weaknesses. It seems wasteful to become anything but proficient at your weaknesses and exploit the heck out of your strengths. If designing cakes is your strength, what is the one thing about your designs that you are the best at? Piping? Gum paste flowers or figurines? There will be some aspect in which you shine just a little bit brighter than your competition. Become great at the rest of the skills, but outstanding at the one skill in your trade that you have an edge on. It’s not always clear when you look at an overall product that’s definitely a thing of beauty and tasty too, but knowing what aspect of that product is signature to you is an important part of defining yourself.

I appear to have digressed from my point of trends but it all comes back in a circle. Once you succeed at leading the pack in some aspect of your skill set, the trends are yours to play with and you will be able to make them your own. They are important for understanding market demands, but only after knowing yourself first, for individuality is the one thing guaranteed never to go out of style. / BJ

MAY 2011 | Vol. 71, no. 4

editor | laura Aiken editor@bakersjournal.com 416-522-1595 1-888-599-2228 ext. 250

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briefly | Students strut their stuff | Dufflet receives over $348K in federal funding | for more news in the baking world, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com

students strut their stuff

Plated dessert by Marina Butterfly of Cambrian College.

ToronTo – Some of Canada’s best student chefs put their chocolate prowess to the test at Humber College for the Cacao Barry/ Callebaut Canadian Intercollegiate Chocolate Competition. The impressive calibre of competitors left the judges (Bakers Journal amongst them) with slim margins between winners. The second annual event, themed Under the Sea, enjoyed elite artistry in the making of showpieces, hand-dipped bonbons, moulded bonbons and plated desserts. Here are the winners of this year’s Cacao Barry/Callebaut Canadian Intercollegiate Chocolate Competition:

1st Place overall: Claudia Parent, Ecole Hotelier du Quebec; 2nd Place overall:

Maria Boyd, George Brown College; 3rd Place overall: Marina Butterfly, Cambrian College; Best Showpiece: Claudia Parent, Ecole Hotelier du Quebec; Best Bonbon – Dipped: Stephanie Duong, George Brown College; Best Bonbon – Moulded: Maria Boyd, George Brown College; Best Plated Dessert: Stephanie Duong, George Brown College

dufflet receives over $348k in federal funding

ToronTo – Dufflet Pastries will benefit from more than $348,000 of federal funding from Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

Dufflet Pastries announced in a press release that it will use this repayable contribution to purchase and install new automated bakery equipment, allowing for greater production capacity and efficiency. The project is expected to result in the creation of jobs and will aid in reducing packaging waste.

Health Canada Oks Lallemand’s vitamin d2 yeast

MonTrEAL – Health Canada has granted Interim Marketing Authorization (IMA) for Lallemand’s vitamin D2 yeast. The decision permits the use of Lallemand D2 yeast to increase the vitamin D content of yeast-leavened baked goods to a maximum level of 2.25 micrograms (mcg) or 90 international units (IU) of vitamin D per 100 grams.

The IMA will allow Canadian bakers to claim their products as a daily source of vitamin D. In order to make that claim, a product must contain a minimum of five per cent of the recommended Daily Intake of vitamin D per serving. The % Daily Value of the added vitamin D must also be declared in a products nutrition Facts table.

Following the release of the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations on nov. 30, 2010, the Dietary reference Intake (DrI) for vitamin D was increased from 200 to 600 IU (five to 15 mcg) per day for children and most adults, and from 400 to 800 IU (10 to 20 mcg) for adults over 70, assuming minimal sun exposure. Given the limited availability of food sources of vitamin D, the new recommendations make it more difficult for Canadians to meet their vitamin D requirement with food alone.

“Since new dietary sources of vitamin D are needed, the IMA gives the baking industry a golden opportunity to offer a solution to this problem,” stated Lallamend in a press release. “Lallemand yeasts [Eagle, Lallemand, Instaferm, Vita D Plus] are a natural and vegetarian source of vitamin D, enabling bakers to naturally enhance the vitamin D content of their baked goods, and bread in particular. This will positively impact on the intake of this important nutrient by making much of the daily bread in Canada a ‘daily source’ of vitamin D.”

BeyOnd BasiCs

Innovation is opening up a whole new world of applications for fruits and vegetables in the baking industry

Fruits have been used in baking for many years, with basics like raisin bread and blueberry muffins enjoying long-running popularity. The process for producing raisin bread is well established and the fundamentals are well documented, including the method of production, timing, quantity of raisin addition, yeast level, fermentation and water absorption. Similarly, other fruits and vegetables are used in the production of sweet or savoury baked goods. Carrot cakes, banana breads and a variety of fruit and vegetable muffins are available in the market and consumers are quite familiar with them. The most recent introductions of savoury breads in North America include different variations of olive and onion breads, which are gaining quite the fan base. The use of fruits and vegetables in baking has expanded beyond the basics and there are lots of opportunities for new, exciting additions to your product line.

}Fruits and vegetables also deliver numerous nutritional benefits, adding a healthful kick to your baking. Many fruits and vegetables contain large quantities of antioxidants, a buzzword in today’s food markets, and other beneficial compounds. Consumers are beginning to realize the connection between antioxidants in food and the prevention of chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. Oxygen radicals in the body affect various tissues. The antioxidants found in fruits and vegetable can neutralize these radicals and help protect our tissues from damage. Many of the substances responsible for the antioxidant properties of these vegetables and fruits have been identified, including lycopene in tomatoes, resveratrol in grapes, and rutin in asparagus. Natural antioxidant activity can be measured by many different methods. One of the most popular is to determine the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) value.

Many manufacturers supply fruits and fruit ingredients that claim to be high in antioxidants. When purchasing these ingredients, and before using them in your products, make sure these claims are substantiated.

People may already have a good number of bakery choices to satisfy their palates, but there are many other possibilities just waiting to be created. Such products will satisfy many of today’s consumer demands. Shoppers are looking for natural ingredients and flavours; fruits and vegetables can often satisfy this need. They can also provide a plethora of flavours that will replace many artificial ones currently used in the manufacture of baked goods. Beyond their many flavours, these fruits and vegetables can act as a natural substitute for certain artificial colours. There’s a fair bit of research investigating carrots of different colours, purple potatoes, beets and certain fruits. Commercialization of these natural colours is an exciting field and there are many promising opportunities.

High quantities of antioxidants are often present in the outer layers of fruits and vegetables. The skins of tomatoes, apples, peaches, pears, grapes plums and other fruits were found to contain more antioxidants than the rest of the fruit. Traditional processing normally discards these skins; however, as their health benefits are being recognized, efforts are underway to develop them into food ingredients. Investigations at the Guelph Food Technology Centre (GFTC) have resulted in a process for the production of grape skin flour, which is high in the antioxidant resveratrol. Grape skin flour can be incorporated into breads and other baked goods, as well as pasta, to create products that boasts a rich wine colour, great flavour and a mouthwatering aroma, all while providing health benefits.

Although these types of ingredients are just beginning to enter the market, whole fruit and vegetable powders have been

available for some time. Manufacturing these types of ingredients must preserve their antioxidant activity. New technologies are emerging for the gentle processing of fruits and vegetables to ensure that their health benefits are preserved. Such technologies incorporate microwaves and vacuums or pressure to dehydrate the fruits and vegetables at much lower temperatures than standard processing. These technologies not only maintain the healthy components of the fruits and vegetables but also preserve their flavour, aroma and natural colour. When we use such ingredients in baked goods, we must make sure that the baking temperature, time and other process conditions do not impact the health buenefits a finished product delivers to the consumer. However, it is also very important that the processing be adequate to safeguard the consumer from the danger of food pathogens, and provide the quality parameters the product requires. Many manufacturers supply fruits and fruit ingredients that claim to be high in antioxidants. When purchasing these ingredients, and before using them in your products, make sure these claims are substantiated.

Many refined fruit fibres are commercially available that can aid us with our formulations by retaining moisture, which helps maintaiun softness and extend shelf life. Processed fruit pulps are also available as functional ingredients and have been used in the baking industry for a number of years. These pulps and purees contain fibre and pectin, which naturally improve the quality of various baked goods.

Many new and exciting fruits and vegetables are available for use in baked goods. They come in many convenient forms, including fresh whole, dried whole, individually quick frozen (IQF), infused, freeze dried, pieces or dried powders. The choice is yours. / BJ

Dr. John Michaelides is an independent food industry consultant for the Guelph Food Technology Centre. For more information, or fee-for-service help with product or process development needs, please contact John Michaelides at 519-821-1246, ext. 5052, or by e-mail at jmichaelides@gftc.ca

MIChelle BrIseBoIs

One byte at a time

The foodservice industry hasn’t leapt at online ordering as quickly as other retail sectors have. Let’s face it: food doesn’t ship as easily or stay as fresh as apparel does and it can’t morph into a downloadable format like music or media. The success of virtual grocery stores has been lacklustre and when push comes to shove, who’s really sitting at a desk ordering baked goods on their computer? Hardly anybody. This is precisely why we need to revisit our digital strategies. We don’t go to our computers anymore, they come along with us.

In mid-February, information technology market intelligence provider

IDC announced a hugeu milestone in terms uof consumer technology use. IDC reported that in the final quarter of 2010, worldwide sales ofu smartphones surpassed sales of PCs for tuhe first time. Smartphone sales totalled 100 million units, while PC sales totalled 92 million units. This shift occurred much faster than most trendwatchers had predicted. As late as November 2010, former Morgan Stanley analyst Mary Meeker was pointing to 2012 as the time when smartphones would pass PCs in terms of raw numbers.

Dealers Ingredients Inc.

B utterB uds

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The key here is that your customers are moving targets. They’re hooked up to their mobile oxygen and they want to access your website on the go.

“I compare it to clients of 20 years ago who asked why they needed a website. Today, it’s ‘why do I need a mobile website’?” says Rob Barnett, managing director of Stray Dog Marketing and Design in West Vancouver. In January, Barnett says in a Vancouver Sun article: “Stats say more people access websites through mobile devices than through computers.” Having websites for mobile devices like iPhone, Blackberry and Android platforms, he says, is an absolute must to reach customers. “We always say ‘young’ customers but what is young?” He points out that, contrary to popular belief, it’s not just millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) that are utilizing mobile devices – it’s baby boomers too, and in large numbers. Most restaurants don’t have websites that have been configured to be mobile-friendly and quick to navigate, but they should. This is a form of sampling to lure the consumer in to check out your business in person.

Your regular customers may choose to receive mobile text messaging with special offers. The offer is displayed on their smartphone screen, and they can respond by simply walking into your bakery and showing the coupon on their phone. According to Barnett, studies show people follow through more with mobile text offers than with e-mail or print offers. “It’s an instant read and the redemption is six to 10 times higher. The number 1 mobile market in the U.S. is Seattle and that’s not far from us.”

Soon, he says, GPS-enabled phones will bring forth geo-location marketing, featuring messages sent from nearby restaurants once you enter their neighbourhood. “It’s not quite here but I can see it happening this year.”

It works like this: you register your business to highlight what you do best, and the consumer asks where to find these things. Satellites can track their location via the GPS and create the match between what they like and where they can get it. Siumply put, if a consuumer loves pecan pie or a specific type of chocolate and you have these items, a little notice will pop up on their phone as they walk past your bakery, letting them know you have what they crave. It feels Big Brotherish but because consumers have asked for this information, it’s simply a case of leveraging technology to broker connections.

But tapping into the mobile market isn’t the only way to use technology to your advantage. By accepting online orders, submitted either from smartphones or from regular old computers, customers benefit from improved

convenience, order accuracy and no wait time. Previous order history can be captured and accessed so customers can see that they ordered the marble cake for their mother-in-law’s birthday last year. You automatically capture their e-mail address, so sending a reminder about their mother-in-law’s impending birthday this year will help spur the customer into action earlier. They’ll be delighted to be reminded ahead of time, and you’ll be delighted not to be rushing the order through at the last minute. Win meets win as online ordering goes beyond just customer convenience. Online ordering will assist you in creating a more direct relationship between the customer and your bakery. It gives you a chance to connect to your customers and learn how to market to them more effectively. It’s true that when it comes to food, online ordering is still in its toddlerhood. Introducing online ordering now will put your bakery at the front of this emerging trend. Research from Mintel shows that in the United States, five per cent of pick-up and delivery lunches are ordered online versus 24 per cent ordered by

phone or fax. Consumers are not yet aware enough of the service to demand it, and too few restaurants currently offer it. But even though online food ordering is still an emerging trend, the number of consumers who appear to be interested in it is quite high. For most demographic groups, the percentage of consumers interested in online ordering is almost as great as the percentage that currently order by phone or fax. This suggests that consumers will embrace online ordering as it becomes more common. These digital solutions are more widely available and cost effective than ever before. They level the playing field, helping small businesses reach big numbers of potential customers. Larger companies will stilul be conducting theuir 25th committee meeting on the matter while you’re getting in the game. At this rate, you’ll be moving as fast as your customers. / BJ

Michelle Brisebois is a marketing professional with experience in the food, pharmaceutical, financial services and wine industries. She specializes in retail brand strategies.

Here’s a look at what couples want today | BY

lAurA AIken

Wedding trends

Spring’s been ushered in, and with it the sound ouf summer wedding bells. And there’s no client quite like a bride (or groom), is there? The cake (or cupcake) provider shoulders a heavy burden in delivering the wedding day vision to the happy couple. Bakers Journal spoke with three buzz worthy cake designers in search of this year’s trends and tips for helping the bride be more blushing than ’zilla.

gerAlDIne rAnDlesoMe, CreAtIVe Cutters

Geraldine Randlesome, owner of Creative Cutters, is a cake designer who’s been teaching for over 20 years from her studio in Richmond Hill, Ont. Here, she also produces decorating tools to amaze the eater, yet save the baker time. The author of five books, she has been invited all over the world to teach, has won many awards and, notably, did the 25th anniversary cake for Walt Disney Florida, which was a nine-tier creation featuring a castle done all in pastillage. She has seen the wedding business change dramatically in her two-plus decades in the industry.

“They have much higher expectationsu because of the television programs,” she notes. “And they’re all looking for something different.”

}Think mixing and matching shapes and heights. Cupcakes are still in and she advises bakers to be on the lookout for cake pops.

In her February e-newsletter, Randlesome identifies what she thinks are the top wedding cake trends for 2011. She cites “vintage ’20s” as the fastest rising development. This means drawing inspiration from art deco and romance coupled with “bold and flirty accents.” Shades of teal, purple, brown, blue, green and pink fit this motif.

Despite the lean towards the swinging ’20s, modern is still at the fore. Randlesome writes that this includes non-traditional colours and bold statements, with black and white still being very popular. Think mixing and matching shapes and heights. Cupcakes are still in and she advises bakers to be on the lookout for cake pops.

Randlesome sees theu DIY movement carrying steam, where couples want to save money and personalize their wedding by doing things themselves.

“[This is] when people take a class and are interested in trying to make the cake themselves. You provide them with an ‘idiot proof’ project, for lack of a better word, and they get a great deal of pride in doing it themselves – something very simple and two-tier.”

Randlesome also ideuntified pleats as au fashion trend that could crop up in cakes. Like fashion, trends come and go while the tried and tested traditions have a steady following. Classic colours and themes, as well as cake toppers, “will never die,” she writes. So keep your

basic cake decorating skills finely tuned. Also, “there’s not so much bling this year,” she says. “That seems to be going away a little bit.”

CAtherIne D’AgostIno

AnD ADrIenne D’AMICo, We BAke In heels

This duo opened their doors in Woodbridge, Ont., about a year and a half ago. The inviting boutique bakery strikes a charming balance of modern elegance. A flat screen out front runs a slide show of their cakes. Reupholstered antique chairs and a white couch fuorm a feminine mock u living room. D’Amico handles the business and customer service side of the business and D’Agostino is the designer. There are overlaps, but “no one’s asked me to decorate a cake yet,” laughs D’Amico, to which D’Agostino replies: “And I don’t file our taxes.” Roughly 40 per cent of their business is cakes.

“Initially we thought we’d be doing

Geraldine Randlesome created the tools to make the quilting on this wedding cake a snap. Opposite page:

Catherine D’Agostino (left) and Adrienne D’Amico with one of their popular cakes at We Bake in Heels.

more corporate but we were featured in Toronto Life’s wedding guide for 2011,” says D’Amico. The press helped bring in the brides.

“They always want something different,” says D’Agostino. ”This year it’s about clean lines, modern, traditional, but no flowers and old piping look.”

While nobody’s asking about the royal wedding yet (hadn’t happened at the time of our interview but the royal cake is probably a factor in requests now) they say they do hear a lot about the cake boss.

“People are willing to pay more for cakes,” says D’Amico. “They understand the work involved thanks to TV shows.”

The shop is seeing a lot of requests for monochromatic schemes (like white on white). D’Amico says their biggest request for sure is red velvet, with their dulce de leche beinug the second most popular flavour.

D’Agostino says she draws a lot of her cake design inspirations from fashion, particularly from the accessories in Italian or British editionus of Vogue. When it comes to working with brides, she says to do whatever they want, no matter how crazy it

seems, because it is, after all, their wedding. It helps to give them lots of options.

Of the cupcake trend, D’Agostino says that they’ve neveru seen it slow downu. Fifty per cent of their business is cupcakes, with towers being particularly popular for showers.

Adding rhinestone ribbons to the tiers is one way to add some glam for a low cost to the bride as it’s not handmade and carrying the labour cost, D’Agostino says.

geneVIeVe grIffIn, for the loVe of CAke

Genevieve Griffin opened her shop in January 2010, and she offers a slightly different perspective. Known for her artistry and 4-D cupcakes, Griffin primarily creates funky birthday cakes, which has led to a niche wedding clientele seeking novelty designs, such as a corpse bride for an October wedding, New York city skyline or basket of apples for an orchard theme. She too, is still seeing a lot of cupcake towers. Griffin has also noticed how different working with wedding versus birthday clients can be.

“The biggest thing that I’ve found is

that you really have to pay attention to details and keep in touch with your bride and groom from the point of order to the wedding date. A lot of the brides don’t know the date of the wedding, or they tend to change it. I’ve been reconfirming with the bride a week or two weeks prior and wedding dates and times in the contract are wrong. With brides, there is so much going on that you have to really be on top of communicating with them.”

If brides come to you not knowing what they want, it helps to go through photos to see what they do or don’t like. Knowing the scheme, flowers, location and theme of the wedding is also fundamental to delivering on the special day.

Surfing the Internet in search of the concerns of brides, there seemed to be much debate about whether to have a buttercream or a fondant cake in the summer: what will wiuthstand the heat more successfully?

Griffin’s take: “Absolutely fondant. It will hold the cake together.” She recounts a story of a wedding she attended on a very hot, humid day with poor air conditioning in the building. The cake was out from mid-afternoon until late evening and she says that, although it looked perfect, the buttercream cake just fell apart when it was cut.

“Contrary to common belief, not all fondant tastes bad,” she says. “I use fondant that’s easy to work with and tastes good. It’s the product cake designer works with.”

Being aware of trends is important to stay ahead of the curve, but core skills, imagination and an ability to communicate with the bride (or couple) will play the central role in developing your own style and pleasing your clients. Use these tips and ideas to juice up your creative gears and give coupules their wow factuor on the wedding day. / BJ

By Bru C e rOH er

Warning signs OF eMPLOyee Fraud

There are several red flags you can spot to catch employee crime in your business

Fraud is a growing problem in bakeries and many other manufacturing businesses. Most organizations only take steps to improve their controls after a fraud has been discovered. The good news is that you can help to prevent fraud by being aware of the red flags to look out for.

This article will illustrate three warning signs of employee fraud and what measures you can take to prevent the fraud in each case.

reD flAg #1

One of the warning signs of employee fraud is a supplier who insists on dealing with one employee. Some purchasing frauds are committed by inflating supplier invoice amounts. A corrupt purchasing agent may be receiving a kickback payment from a supplier for goods purchased from that supplier. The kickback will often be paid directly by the supplier to the employee. Alternatively, the employee may establish a fictitious purchasing company, which then submits invoices for payment.

In order to detect this type of fraud:

• Have an employee outside of the purchasing department check supplier invoice prices to price lists and documentaution of quotes obtained.

• Review contracts that were issued without competitive bids.

• Require two signatures on all cheques with careful scrutiny of invoices and supporting documentation. Be suspicious of invoices that indicate a poust office box as the address.

• Compare all addresses and telephone numbers recorded for employees to the master file of suppliers.

reD flAg #2

When personnel are not taking annual vacation time, it could indicate that the

employee does not want his or her responsibilities taken over by other employees involved who may detect fraudulent acts. Consider insisting that employees take annual vacations and have other employees perform their duties during their absence. In addition, it is a good idea uto implement a poliucy of rotating job responsibilities and crosstraining employees to perform different functions.

reD flAg #3

Another warning sign of employee fraud is a sudden change in lifestyle. Management should be suspicious if an employee has a sudden change in lifestyle or if they appear to be living beyond their means. In many cases, fraud occurs because an employee is desperate for funds beyond their income earned from employment.

WhAt You CAn Do

One of the most important internal controls that can easily be implemented is a “segregation of duties.” For example, segregation of duties can be accomplished by separating the purchasing/receiving functions from the invoicing/cash/payables and general

Ask the ADVIsor

QuestIon / I own a bakery and we just doubled our operations by adding a frozen products line. how can I manage and control the risk of inventory loss and theft?

VIsIt www.bakersjournal.com

AnD ClICk on the BusIness ADVIsor lInk for the AnsWer.

To improve the vitamin D intake–Bread baked with Lallemand yeast is the natural solution!

Health Canada has just tripled the Dietary Reference Intake for vitamin D from 200 to 600 UI* and now allows bakers to use Lallemand yeast, naturally rich in vitamin D, to increase the vitamin D content of bread and other yeastleavened baked goods to a maximum level of 90 UI by 100g.

Please contact us to learn more on how to add sunshine in every slice of bread with Lallemand yeast!

*The Institute of Medicine has also tripled its daily vitamin D recommendations from 200 to 600 UI for children and most adults. Osteoporosis Canada recommends a daily intake of 400 to 1000 UI for adults under 50. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends 1000 UI every day for adults over 50 years old and people that have dark skin or who don’t go outside very much. PUB_LALLEMAND_ANG:Mise en page 1 11-04-15 08:11 Page1

Tel.: (800) 840.4047 or (514) 522.2133

www.lallemand.com baking@lallemand.com

On the rise

Wheat prices have climbed a whopping 48 per cent since September.

In mid-September, world commodity prices began climbing to levels approaching those seen during the economic meltdown of 2008. That February, crude oil was up 62 per cent from the previous year, wheat was up 113 per cent, and sugar was up 27 per cent. Only cocoa offered the baking sector a relative reprieve, climbing three per cent over 2007 levels.

Fast forward to the present. Since September 2010, wheat is up 48 per cent, suguar is up 30 per cenut and cocoa is up 2u1 per cent. Fuelling all of these increases is the mid-March hike in the price of crude oil. At press time, crude oil was selling at US$120.93 per barrel, up 61 per cent from the price just seven months ago.

Meanwhile, the political stage is roiling with an as-yet unsuccessful popular revolution in Libya, and triple disasters heartlessly pounding Japan: an earthquake, a tsunami and a potential nuclear accident. It’s little wonder the consumer confidence index is udown.

How is the food industry responding?

Galen Weston shared his strategy with the Globe and Mail on March 3. The chairman and president of George Weston said that commodity prices in January alone had cost the company $20 million. To cushion the blow, he continued, George Weston planned to raise the price of bread, cookies and cakes by an average of five per cent, beginning April 1. Other national grocers are following suit; Metro and Sobeys both announced they will raise their prices too. John Scott, CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, recently told the Canadian Press that instead of passing the full price on to the consumer, there would be a reduction in promotions like coupons, which he said had been in abundance in 2010, but will become increasingly rare this year. The same report said

Federal Election Puts a Hold on Sodium Reduction and Other Consultations

The May 2 federal election has delayed consultations on voluntary sodium reduction targets as well as other federal initiatives. It is standard procedure to suspend such consultations during the period of an election. Bureaucrats will be able to initiate consultations beginning May 3; however, possible changes in ruling parties or changes in ministers could result in further delays.

BAC has been actively engaged in the voluntary sodium reduction initiative for more than three years and recently responded strongly to the revised sodium reduction targets released by Health Canada in January 2011. BAC’s response to the revised and dramatically lower targets concluded that “Information received to-date suggests a target for breads of 330mg/100g by 2016 is not obtainable (based on current knowledge) on a category wide basis for breads as identified due to the functional role sodium provides in baking.”

BAC’s submission also raised serious questions about the ability of sweet goods to commit to sodium reduction due to the significant sodium contribution of ingredients such baking powder, baking soda, margarines, dairy products etc. BAC challenged Health Canada to commit to ensuring Canada’s baking industry will have access to lower sodium leavening agents, margarines and dairy ingredients, including all regulatory approvals in order to aid bakers in meeting proposed reduction targets.

BAC has also been active in representing the concerns of bakers to policy decision makers. In February BAC president and CEO Paul Hetherington met with officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the federal health minister to express concerns regarding the January 2011 sodium reduction targets including the methodology used in their development. Further meetings with Health Canada officials have been postponed due to the election but are being rescheduled.

Health Canada to Launch Revised Acrylamide Monitoring Program

Health Canada will be launching a revised acrylamide monitoring program anticipated for July 2011. The revised program will include sampling results of generic and national brands with a focus on commodities in which a high variability in acrylamide levels was found.

Acrylamide, first found in food by Swedish researchers in 2002, is formed naturally as a by-product of frying, grilling or baking at temperatures in excess of 250°F /120°C. Acrylamide is found in some 40% of foods including prunes, olives, baked potatoes, chips, fries, crackers, coffee, asparagus, and cereals as well as in a wide variety of other foods including breads and rolls (at very low levels) that are part of a normal, healthy diet. Acrylamide is also used for industrial purposes where it has been identified as a source of health concerns and a probable human carcinogen. Multiple research projects have been

undertaken regarding the health implications of acrylamide in food.

The acrylamide sampling plan will allow Health Canada to further develop the Canadian occurrence database for acrylamide in food as part of its efforts to identify which food commodities contribute the most to acrylamide dietary exposure.

The updated Canadian acrylamide occurrence database will serve as a “new baseline” against which the impact of risk management measures, including reduction strategies for specific food commodities, can be assessed in the future through the next phases of the monitoring program. Future follow-up sampling and surveys will then be directed at assessing industry compliance with the recommended reduction strategies, recognizing that best practices are commodity and productionstage specific.

BAKING ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

ONTARIO CHAPTER

ÒSpring Golf TournamentÓ SCRAMBLE FORMAT

In this format, each individual hits from the tee. The team chooses the best-positioned shot and the foursome advances to this position. Each golfer then hits from this position. Each subsequent shot is played in the same manner until the hole is completed . The hole is completed once the ball is holed out.

This format will ensure an enjoyable pace of play and promotes a sense of teamwork throughout the day.

Put your foursome together, or if you are only one or two, we will arrange your playing partners for you.

JUNE

ONTARIO CHAPTER

7, 2011

ONTARIO CHAPTER

JUNE 7, 2011

JUNE

ONTARIO CHAPTER

2011

JUNE 7, 2011

Carlisle

Carlisle Golf & Country Club (West of Guelph Line off Derry Rd.)

Registration & BBQ lunch from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

ASSOCIATION MEMBERS

(dinner only)

NON- MEMBERS

________ TICKETS @ $185.00 (golf, cart, lunch & dinner)

(dinner only)

@ $ 80.00 (dinner only) Total:

SPONSOR-A-HOLE

Please reserve _________ X $50.00 Hole Sponsorship

Please

Please reserve _________ X $50.00 Hole Sponsorship

Company Name (as it is to appear on sign):

BAC - BC CHAPTER

Newlands Golf & Country Club

21025 - 48th Avenue, Langley, BC

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

12:30pm Shot Gun Start KP, Putting Contest, Door Prizes, Carts, & Golfer’s Deluxe Buffet

DON’T DELAY! Reserve yourself, or group RIGHT AWAY! Your entry will require payment to reserve your spot. You may enter individually, or as a foursome.

12:30pm Shot Gun Start Putting Contest, Door Prizes, Carts, & Golfer’s Deluxe Buffet

Golfers and their guests agree to indemnify and hold the Baking Association of Canada harmless from any and all liability or claims for damages or injuries which may arise as a result of participation in this event.

For further information call Nicole Higgins (778) 887-2284

DON’T DELAY! Reserve yourself, or group RIGHT AWAY! entry will require payment to reserve your spot. You may enter individually, or as a foursome.

Please reserve

DEADLINE, & PAYMENT, FOR ENTRIES IS JUNE 1th, 2011

entry form

guests agree to indemnify and hold the Baking Association of Canada harmless from any or claims for damages or injuries which may arise as a result of participation in this event. For further information call Nicole Higgins (778) 887-2284

- Sponsorship identification at the registration area - Sponsorship identification at the banquet dinner - Tee sponsor signage

(

HST included in prices)

7895 Tranmere Dr., Suite 202, Mississauga, ON L5S 1V9 Attn: Gillian Blakey OR Fax Visa / MasterCard /AMEX information and entry form to (905) 405-0993

E-mail: gblakey@baking.ca Telephone: (888) 674-2253, ext 21

Please enter us as a foursome ________ Please place me on a team ________ As always - we appreciate your prize donation!Prize = Yes___ No___

Cheques payable to B.A.C.

Mail cheque and entry form BAC, 7895 Tranmere Dr., Suite Mississauga, ON L5S 1V9 Attn: Gillian Blakey OR Fax Visa / MasterCard /AMEX information and entry form (905) 405-0993

E-mail: gblakey@baking.ca

Telephone: (888) 674-2253,

Maple Leaf Foods planned to raise fresh bakery prices 20 cents per unit at the end of March.

On the independent front, Shaun Navazesh has some ideas about managing price hikes. Navazesh is the owner of Toronto-based ShaSha Bakery and founder of the Artisan Baker’s Quality Alliance, which buys in bulk, as a collective.

“I’d watched wheat go up and spelt come down. Then sugar went up and vanilla went down,” Navazesh recalls. He felt forced to raise some of his prices, but hasn’t yet introduced higher prices across the board.

Navazesh carefully watches prices in terms of geographic sources and the time of the year. He says he’s created a model, which renders data that tells him when to buy and when to contract.

“Still,” he confesses, “it’s a gamble. Sometimes you lose, and sometimes you win.”

“Right now, we’re going to absorb some of the costs for the short term, watching

the timing, particularly at harvest, when farmers are holding back their stock to establish their price.”

Navazesh buys 75 per cent of his ingredients locally. For example, this year, he bought 700 metric tonnes of grain directly from Ontario farmers. The remainder of his ingredients, including sugar, oil and spices, come from outside the country. In the case of his organic palm oil, he buys directly from Brazil. “No middle man,” boasts Navazesh, explaining that the manufacturer shipped the oil to him directly.

His advice to his upeers is to go to uthe source as much as possible. Deal directly with co-operatives, elevators, associations and alliances. “Look for a buying group and buy container loads,“ he advises. “Join together to get the best price on volume. Now, in particular, is the time to do this.” / BJ

Stephanie Ortenzi (www.pistachiowriting. com is a Toronto-based food marketing writer.

CoMMoDItY PrICes feBruArY 2006 – feBruArY 2011

all

*per us$ metric tonne [,000]

** us$1,000/metric tonne

*** Price index based on 2005 = 100

source: www.indexmundi.com, BMo Capital Markets, “the goods,” March, 2011.

CoMMoDItY PrICes sePteMBer 2010 – MArCh 2011

*per metric tonne

source: www.indexmundi.com, BMo Capital Markets, “the goods,” March, 2011.

FRESH GOODS + QUALITY INGREDIENTS

= LOYAL CUSTOMERS

Withbaking hours from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Arremony’s Quality Bakery products are available warm and fresh throughout the day. Owner Philip Arremony describes the Jewett City, Connecticut business as an “Old World” style bakery that has maintained its popular product line since its founding in 1960. Phil has taken Arremony’s Quality Bakery services beyond those of a retail bakery. He offers catering services, and plans to develop a mailorder operation. Why not? He already ships baked goods to the west coast and Florida to satisfy former Jewett City residents.

In fact, some Arremony customers travel as far as 50 miles to pick up their favorite baked goods. They place their orders in advance in order to schedule visits around Arremony’s two week summer shut down. What generates such enthusiasm? For starters, Babka bread, sweetened with golden raisins, Whoopie pies (a cream filling between two chewy chocolate cookies), chocolate chip cookies and date or apricot filled shortbread cookies.

Phil, who grew up in the business and learned the trade from his father Philip F. Arremony, took over in 1996. Phil’s son Ian, now 26, has followed his father into the business.

In Phil’s view, a major challenge facing bakers today is the nutritional awareness of today’s customers. “Using good, pure ingredients is essential,” he said. “Because customers expect consistency in my products.” For consistent results, Phil relies on International® Bakers Services to flavor all of Arremony’s baked goods. Phil is particularly fond of the Vanilla Crystals he adds to his “wonderfully delicious” donut glaze.

If you want consistent quality, turn to International® Bakers Services. Contact us toll-free at (800) 345-7175, by fax at (574) 287-7161, or in writing at 1902 North Sheridan Ave., South Bend, Indiana 46628. We have the flavors your customers deserve.

¦ tricks of the trade ¦

By Mari O F O r T in

sWeeT On sugar

Humans are born to like sweet tastes, favouring them over acidic, bitter and very salty foods. There are lots of sources of sweetness, the best known of which is sugar. Sugar, also known as carbohydrates, comes mostly from sugar cane or sugar beets and is a key ingredient used by much of the food industry. On average, sugar supplies 15 per cent of our daily calories.

Fine or extra fine sugar is the most important one used in the baking industry. Coarse sugar is used for decoration, while fruit sugar is used in pastry. Powder sugar contains three to five per cent starch and is mostly used for icing and pastries.

}Brown sugar is made by adding molasses to white sugar at different levels, according to your needs. Brown sugar comes in golduen or dark varieties. It is used in baking grain breads, cookies, muffins and other goods. When working with brown sugar, you must be aware of the colour it will bring to your finish product.

and transformed into a golden substance ranging from pale to dark, and with soft to medium flavour. At 186 C, sugar melts, bringing out an interesting flavour and exquisite aroma. This product that results from the sugar degradation is called caramel, and the process is called caramelization. Caramelization depends on the type of oven used, baking temperature, humidity, pH of the dough, and activity of the flour enzymes.

The second type of colour reaction, known as the Maillard reaction, results in baked products darkening as the sugar they contain reacts during the baking process. Both reactions need heat; they are not enzymatic. Note that caramelization requires more heat than the Maillard reaction.

sWAPPIng out sugArs

If you’re looking to produce sugarless products or replace processed sugars with a natural sweetener, there are several options to consider.

if you want to substitute sugar entirely or in part with another sweetener, it is important to understand how the sweetness of your substitute stacks up against the sugar called for in your formulation.

The quantities of the various sugars in your formulations will determine the structure and the organoleptic characteristics relating to the senses (touch, taste, sight, smell). Cakes, cookies and breads require sugars to give them great flavour, nice colour and a uniform grain. Sugars also help these products keep humidity and increase their shelf life.

The type of sugar used will vary according to the baking product. But remember, sugar isn’t the only source of sweetness you can turn to for your baking needs.

WorkIng WIth sugArs

There are two types of colour reactions that are important to be aware of when working with sugar.

In the first, reaction sugar is heated

Honey is the only sweetener that does not require transformation before consumption and is therefore considered a natural sugar. Agave nectar is another option for sugar replacement. Consisting primarily of fructose and glucose, agave nectar is slightly thinner than honey. It ranges in colour from light to dark amber, depending on the degree of processing it has undergone.

The sweetness of sugars and various other sweeteners is measured on a relative scale. Table sugar (saccharose) is assigned a value of 1.00. Sugars and sweeteners with a value below that are less sweet than table sugar, while those with values above 1.00 are more sweet than table sugar. If you want to substitute sugar entirely or in part with another sweetener, it is important to understand how the sweetness of your substitute stacks up against tuhe sugar called foru in your formulation.

This table provides a comparison of

several different sweeteners and sugars. Fruit purees are good choices to replace sugar in pastries. As you know, a sugar-free bread is usually very crusty, so replacing or reducing sugar is usually an option more successfully employed in pastry. The sweeter fruit puree come from dates, dry raisins, apricots, peaches, prunes and plums. Also, when replacing sugars with fruit puree, you have to consider the colour that the puree source will add to your product.

Of course you can reduce the sugar in any baked product, but you must remember that this will have an effect on the moisture and the shelf life of the product. For example, you can make fruit filling without the addition of sugar, but your filling will have a short shelf life and you may have problems with overflow during baking. You will have to add some starch, gums or pectin to get the proper finished product. / BJ

Mario Fortin is an international bakery consultant and owner of FORMA-LAB, a consulting service to bakers and suppliers. If you have a technical problem, send your questions to info@forma-lab.com.

From Prime Grains’ Ethiopian barley to Satin Ice’s cake-decorating videos, Bakers Journal keeps you “in the know.” FOR MORE on new products for the baking industry, check out our website, www.bakersjournal.com.

Tortilla Suave conditioner from Caravan Ingredients

Tortilla Suave is a conditioner that combines the latest in extended shelf life and anti-stick technology to create long-lasting shelf stability. Tortilla Suave improves softness and rollability, and allows for the removal of hydrogenated fats and trans fats from labels. Contact Maurice A. Corsi at 905 826-1089 ex 223 or visit www. caravaningredients.com

Stencils from Creative Cutters

A variety of Geraldine’s Side Stencils are now available from Creative Cutters. Scrolls, scallops, dots, ﬂowers and lace designs will help you accent the sides of your cakes. All stencils can be used with buttercream, marzipan, royal icing, sugarpaste, fondant, or an airbrush. www.creativecutters.com

Ancient grains from Prime Grains

To match growing demand for ancient grains, Prime Grains is expanding its offerings to include Prime E-Barley, an ancient Ethiopian barley that has grown in isolation from other barley for thousands of years. www.primegrains.com

New videos on the Satin Fine Foods YouTube channel

A new line of videos starring longtime cake decorator Betty Van Norstrand will run on the Satin Ice YouTube channel. www.satinﬁnefoods.com

Richmond Traders importing Afghanistan raisins

Richmond Traders Inc. is now offering raisins from Afghanistan. Richmond Traders has taken a hands-on approach to better the lives of the Afghan raisin farmers. The channels and the people involved in the purchasing and processing are dealing directly with the farmers and teaching them how to improve their harvest. www.richmondimports.com

¦ business advisor ¦

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

ledger functions. Further, the bank accounts should be reconciled by someone other than those responsible for cash receipts and disbursements. Restricting access to records and databases depending on the employee’s position and responsibilities is another effective internal control that can help prevent fraud.

Your business advisor can be a valuable resource by evaluating the state of your internal controls, recommending best practices, and implementing improved fraud risk management strategies, policies, procedures and internal controls. In today’s uncertain economic climate, certain employees may be more motivated than usual to perpetrate a fraud. It is important for management not to overlook or ignore the early warning signs. / BJ

Bruce Roher is a partner in the forensic accounting and valuations practice at the Toronto ofﬁce of Fuller Landau LLP.

mi Xing it up

Sometimes a name really is an omen. In 2003, when Rose Concepcion and Thuy Kelp opened MIX the Bakery in Vancouver, they knew they had come up with a fitting name for their business, but just how fitting, they would not discover until later.

MIX has found a home in Point Grey Village, an affluent residential area. Nestled in a small shopping district next to the University of British Columbia endowment lands and the university itself, the 2,200-square-foot bakery fits right in. The businesses in the village are mainly small shops and services, making it a good loucation for MIX.

“We saw this space and it just felt right immediately,” says Concepcion. “This felt like a real neighbourhood.”

The Bakers Journal interview with Concepcion takes place over lattes at a tiny round outdoor table temporarily moved indoors due to inclement weather. It’s a Thursday afternoon and MIX is hopping. Every one of the six small square indoor tables, each with an embossed “M” in the centre, is taken, as are the four barstools by the window. A mother with a baby in a stroller next to her drinks espresso as she works on her Blackberry. Two women, possibly mother and daughter, are

having a chat over soup. A man is reading a newspaper and enjoying a sandwicuh. A steady flow of ucustomers come in, buying artisan breads, muffins, sandwiches and coffee to take out. The mix of customers consists mainly of regulars who know what they want and are used to getting it here.

MIX is a suitable name for a bakery as there probably isn’t a single thing on offer that doesn’t involve mixing at some point. Concepcion says the name was a natural choice, somehow “just right,” as the location was for the bakery, and the decision to open a bakery was for her. “I always knew I would open a bakery one day,” says Concepcion, a trained pastry chef whose business card titles her “Cake Spinner.” She and Kelp (“Dough Girl” according to her business card), who was on holidays at the time of the interview, worked in food retail together before opening the bakery.

MIX also works as a name because of the variety of products sold: artisan breads, cakes and pastries, in addition to savoury fare, including salads, soups, casseroles and sandwiches. All of MIX’s products are made with butter, not shortening. Certain items are on the menu permanently, while others are available seasonally. New items show up on the menu regularly.

Make your tasty delight just right

Chef Michel-Ange is specialized in the conception and manufacture of decorative products used in the pastry industry. With his help, you can create your delicious masterpieces FASTER and EASIER .

“We are always creating something new,” says Concepcion. “Our customers can go anywhere, but they have chosen to come to us. They buy their everyday breads, they come for lunch, they sit down for a coffee. They expect quality and comfort. They trust us to offer those, and so they are also willing to experiment with us and try something new we’ve put on the menu.” Concepcion says the goal is to keep getting better at what they do and re-earn their customers’ business, rather than try to lure new customers in through advertising or promotions.

The staff, about 12 full time and 12 part time, is also a real mix, a veritable United Nations running the gamut in backgrounds and ages. “We have staff from student to grandparent

age and from many nationalities, but the common thing is that they all care,” says the visibly proud Concepcion. “They care about what they make, and about the customers and about each other. We enjoy what we do!”

The mix of retail, wholesale and catering is currently a 40-40-20 split. The wholesale clients are mainly small, individual operators, restaurants, hotels and stores that value the flexibility and small quantities MIX is willing to deliver. However, Concepcion sees the most growth potential in catering, which the bakery began offering in 2005. The largest catering client, and the one with the most additional growth potential, is the university.

BAKERY MFG /PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR – Toronto. 1-10 Years of supervisory continuous production. Salary: $40-55K. NORTH YORK. Food Industry Recruiters – 416-733-2696.

and profitable Bakery of 29 years, selling due to health issues. Located in the Tri-City Area of Ontario $139,900.

Dwayne M Mitchell Tel: 519-590-8305 See more at: http://www.sunbeltnetwork.com/listing/ GUELPON001-N77

MIX owners (top right in orange, Rose Concepcion, and second from top right, Thuy Kelp) and staff at the store.

tAke-AWAY tIPs froM MIx

1. Look for your catering opportunities. This may be a good avenue for growth.

2. Consider what you can do for nearby institutions, such as universities.

3. Bake-sale fundraisers are alive and well. Get involved with your community and the causes close to you.

of: Depositors, Transfer Pumps, Metal Detector Conveyors, Conveying Systems, Custom Built Equipment, Baking and Proofing Racks and Used Equipment.

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On THe PuLses OF innOvaTiOn

Pulses are poised to take off, thanks to their health benefits and a team effort between the food industry and government

}What are pulses?” is a regular question at my workplace wellness healthy eating seminars. I respond, “Pulses include beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas.” And then the feedback is usually, “Ahh, you mean legumes!” Well, no, not exactly, but you’re on the right track. The Alberta Pulse Growers website defines them as “the edible seeds of legumes, like lentils, beans, peas and chickpeas. Whole pulses, pulse flours and fractions are becoming more popular with the Canadian consumer. Hummus (ground chickpeas) is now an everyday food in many homes, not just an exotic dip served with pita bread found only at the luocal Lebanese restaurant. Lentil crackers are available on many mainstream grocery store shelves. As international flavour trends continue to spread throughout the North American marketplace, there are numerous opportunities and applications for pulses in the baking industry.

to create a very popular item for consumers. Pickard notes that Mexicans have been using black beaun flour to give tortillas a great earthy flavour, interesting colour and the bonusu of health benefits u for many years.

“We are now seeing this application in Canada and the USA,” he explains. “There is an increased use of chickpea flour with his client base, for example, in snack foods such as crackers. Chickpeas give a delicious nutty flavour, while remaining colour neutral for enhanced applications. Whereas, white bean flours are very neutral in taste and colour, lending to many applications in the baking industry.”

Tanya Der, manager of Food Innovation & Marketing at Pulse Canada, agrees. “Using 25 per cent white bean flour with other flours in an original recipe will not alter the flavour, aroma, texture or colour of the end product. However, it will

The roti can be stuffed with sweetened lentil or spiced chickpeas and mango fillings. These are very popular vegetarian, Caribbean dishes.

The carbohydrates found in pulses are digested more slowly than those in other foods, lowering the product’s glycemic index.

The impressive nutritional profile of pulses plays an important role in optimizing health. Pulses are a good source of slowly digestible carbohydrates, fibre and vegetable protein. They provide satiety and lower the glycemic index (GI) of the meal. Recent studies have shown that consuming just half a cup of pulses per day can lower an individual’s low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol level. Including pulses in the diet can also play an integral part in chronic disease prevention and management (specifically, type 2 diabetes and heart disease).

Mark Pickard, president of InfraReady Products in Saskatoon, has an American client that manufactures a salsa bread using black bean flouur and sundried tomato flakes. This is a great example of how to mix two good-for-you ingredients

optimize the nutritional aspects of that product. Red lentil flour is being used to give items such as tortilla a very appealing colour.” Der explains, “The use of chickpea flour as an ingredient to create roti bread, the traditional Caribbean flat bread for scooping up spicy dips, usually made from other pulses, and curried stews is becoming more common in Canada. The roti can be stuffed with sweetened lentil or spiced chickpeas and mango fillings. These are very popular vegetarian, Caribbean dishes.”

The folks at Pulse Canada have observed an increased consumer interest in baking with pulses, specifically in the gluten-free segment. Pulse purees are easily made by placuing pulses (lentilsu or beans are recommended) and hot water in a food processor to give a gluten-free, moisture rich consistency to recipes such as the pumpernickel bread found in the new cook booklet Pulses and the glutegnfree diet: cooking with beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas.

Der suggests that the industry needs a better understanding of how the physical,

compositional and functional properties of pulse flour influence the end product quality of baked goods. This has led to the initiation of the Canadian International Grains Institute’s (CIGI) Pulse Flour Milling and Utilization Project in Winnipeg. This four-year initiative, which launched last year, is funded through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP), the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, the Alberta Pulse Growers, and the Canadian Special Crops Association. One maujor component of the project involves collaborations with food manufacturers to optimize pulse flours for their speucific end-use applicuations across the entire food industry.

To benefit from the numerous nutritional features of pulses, we, as a population, need to consume them, either as a whole food in every day eating or as ingredients – such as flours and fractions – in other food products such as tortillas, crackers, pitas and breads. There are lots of local and international opportunities and innovations to keep an eye on for bakeries and ingredient companies experimenting with tuhis superfood. /BJ

Jane Dummer, RD, is a leading dietitian for the Canadian food and nutrition industry. Jane offers services specializing in agri-food, functional foods and food safety. For more information, visit www.janedummer.com.

Great ideas are a piece of cake with Dawn.

Let them eat cake! It’s all about cakes in May with Mother’s Day, Victoria Day, First Communions and Graduations. Look for fresh proﬁt ideas including time saving concepts, recipe spin-offs and new product trends with Dawn’s Fresh Bakery Solution program. For more innovative bakery solutions – contact your Dawn sales representative at 1-866-277-3663. We