Commercial Baking October | Q4 2023

Many players, one team. www.syntegon.com

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY AND THE ART OF OLD WORLD BAKING

It’s where we began. For the past century, Brolite has created a variety of naturally fermented cultured flavors. Designed to give bakers a handcrafted taste in no time, these flavors are a great addition to any formula.

Our sours range from strong and pungent to sublte and delicate flavors giving the baker an exact flavor profile needed. Brolite ferments various flours for specific amounts of time, then dehydrates the custom flavor before it is finally milled into a fine, easily handled, free-flowing powder.

Unique artisan flavors made easy for any baker and any baking application.

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AIM TECHNOLOGY FOR PIZZA

Automation for pizza handling that no one else can deliver.

Active Integrated Motion™ (AIM™) technology transforms frozen pizza handling by enabling automation in washdown environments.

Intralox® AIM solutions include sorting, switching, and merging equipment that deliver maximized, reliable throughput and gentle product handling to your pizza packaging lines.

AVANT FOOD MEDIA

Paul Lattan President - Principal

Steve Berne Vice President - Principal

COMMERCIAL BAKING

Paul Lattan Publisher 816.585.5030 | paul@avantfoodmedia.com

Joanie Spencer Director of Content - Partner American

Steve Berne Director of Media 816.605.5037 | steve@avantfoodmedia.com

Joanie Spencer Editor-in-Chief 913.777.8874 | joanie@avantfoodmedia.com

Mari Rydings Editorial Director mari@avantfoodmedia.com

Jordan Winter Creative Director jordan@avantfoodmedia.com

Olivia Siddall Multimedia Specialist olivia@avantfoodmedia.com

Annie Hollon Managing Editor annie@avantfoodmedia.com

Evan Bail Associate Editor evan@avantfoodmedia.com

Maggie Glisan | Bella Foote Contributors info@commercialbaking.com

Commercial Baking is published by Avant Food Media, 1703 Wyandotte St., Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64108. Commercial Baking considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur. Consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Commercial Baking is distributed with the understanding that the publisher is not liable for errors and omissions. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither Avant Food Media nor any of its employees accept any responsibility whatsoever for their activities. Commercial Baking magazine is printed in the USA and all rights are reserved.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher. All contributed content and advertiser supplied information will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication or digital product and are subject to Commercial Baking ’s right to edit.

Commercial Baking , ISSN 2767-5319 / USPS Publication Number: 25350, is published quarterly in February, April, August, and October, with special issues in June and December, in print and digital formats by Avant Food Media, 1703 Wyandotte St., Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64108. Periodicals Postage Paid at Kansas City. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Commercial Baking, c/o Avant Food Media, 1703 Wyandotte St., Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64108.

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Time: A Scarce Commodity

Excuse me, but how are we in the fourth quarter already? Time is precious, and it moves unforgivingly fast.

When my son was born, everyone told me that adage, “The days are long, but the years are short.” Now he’s 13, and I’m in my 50s, and sometimes I feel like it’s all just flying by.

As industry leaders and business owners, we spend our days digging into research, conducting critical analysis, putting out fires, attending meetings — so many meetings — and crossing off to-do list tasks that only create new ones.

Wait.

Can we all slow down for a minute? Take a breath. Go for a walk. Just stop and take it all in.

Maybe it feels like you can’t because you simply don’t have the bandwidth. I get it; we can’t ignore those deadlines. This magazine has to get to the printer just like your product has to get out the door.

JOANIE SPENCER Editor-in-Chief | joanie@avantfoodmedia.com

But I do believe that Ferris Bueller was right: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Make a bold move! Do something that will take your business to new heights. Heck, start a whole new business! Don’t simply dream about what you could do. Act on what you can do. Just don’t forget to hit the pause button and call (don’t text) a friend, thank a coworker or even hug your mom.

Like I said, time is unforgiving. When it’s gone, you can’t get it back.

WATCH NOW: Joanie Spencer provides her perspective on the October | Q4 issue of Commercial Baking and how bold moves are shaping the industry.

Proven to Lower Energy Costs

ePAN® designs from American Pan have been proven to save bakeries money on every bake. In fact, one customer reduced gas usage by almost 8% year over year by switching to an ePAN.

Energy solutions like wind turbines and solar panels are a major investment and require a large amount of dedicated space. ePANs can fit on your existing bakery line and save you money from the very first bake. Here’s how:

DECREASED OVEN TEMPERATURE

Oven temperatures have decreased by up to 85°F when using ePANs.*

REDUCED BAKING TIME

Bakingtimeshavebeenreducedbyupto45seconds. Baking times have been reduced by up to 45 seconds.*

REDUCED WEIGHT OF BAKING TRAYS & TINS

Traysandtinsareupto30%-50%lighter,requiringles Trays and tins are up to 30%-50% lighter, requiring less energy frombakerysystemsandemployeesforhandl from bakery systems and employees for handling.*

*Results from real bakery experience. Results may vary based on specific bakery conditions.

Seen Heard AND

“Food safety audits are not a silver bullet. They can help point bakers toward a safe food supply … Bakers need to have competent technical support with a combination of scientific rationale with a practical, effective approach to manage the food safety risks.”

Ranjeet Klair | food safety director | The Acheson Group On meeting food safety audit requests that are beyond the standard

“Companies that can adapt will thrive, and those that can’t will ultimately suffer their demise.”

Brian Choi, CFA | managing partner and CEO | The Food Institute In his online column, Leaders Must Prepare for The Great Separation in 2023

“Strive for diverse experiences in product development to gain a better understanding of the work and reveal new insights on how to approach a project. Stay humble and appreciate your colleagues’ insights alongside your own knowledge.”

Ryan Graff | associate food scientist | JPG Resources Advice for aspiring food and beverage entrepreneurs via LinkedIn Q&A

Still making huge

“Never forget that absolutely everything you do is for your customers. Make every decision — even decisions about whether to expand the business, raise money or promote someone — according to what’s best for your customers.

Derek Sivers | entrepreneur and author From his book, Anything You Want

“Our approach is really around finding audiences that should know our brand or might know about our brand and find ways to bring the best of our brands to them.”

Eddie Revis | CMO | Magnolia Bakery On what Magnolia Bakery looks for in a brand partnership during the Taste Radio podcast

“With the fast-moving lifestyle and more population now into the working economy, the need for ready-to-eat food products, primarily in the bakery sector, is in high demand.”

Raymond Nogael | president and CEO North America, VP global marketing and business development | Mecatherm LinkedIn post

“No matter what you are marketing, you are marketing it to people.”

Wendi Ebbing | VP of marketing | Bundy Baking Solutions

From BEMA’s On a Roll podcast

“[Manufacturing] is really freaking cool, but it is still fighting some of the battles of this work not being dignified. That’s not how we see it. Anytime we can get in front of young people … we’re excited to do it.”

Meg Brown | VP of human resources | Cambridge Air Solutions During a webinar hosted by The Manufacturing Institute

“The supermarket is great. It’s like a playground for adults. But it’s also a window into trends and what people want.”

Alex Guarnaschelli | American chef, cookbook author and television personality During the opening keynote at Taste Tomorrow by Puratos

“Leadership for me is first about having a strong desire to contribute to society, or to something meaningful.”

Burak Koyuncu | head of leadership development, UK and International markets | LHH LinkedIn post

“I tell my executives, ‘If you’re the smartest person in the room, get out of the room.’”

Manjit Minhas | co-founder and CEO | Minhas Breweries, Distilleries and Wineries During PMMI’s Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network event

Photo by Avant Food Media

JUST BAGELS

IT’S IN THE WATER

In the heart of the Bronx, Just Bagels marries new technology with an old-school process.

BY JOANIE SPENCER

It started with a walk-up window. And in true New Yorker fashion, people lined up. That’s when Cliff Nordquist, president of Bronx, NY-based Just Bagels, knew he was onto something special.

Having grown up in Brooklyn the son of a bus driver and union worker, Nordquist felt drawn to entrepreneurial life, jumping on an opportunity to open a tiny bagel shop on Westchester Avenue in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx after taking out a hefty loan from his parents in the mid-’90s.

“It was a lot of money,” Nordquist remembered. “My mom was really nervous about that, but she wanted to help me. Up to that point, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do; I just knew I wanted to be successful.”

There’s nothing like the pressure of not letting your mother down to spark the entrepreneurial spirit. So, he partnered with Jimmy O’Connell, now Just Bagels’ VP and general manager, and the duo started cranking out bagels to sell through a window Nordquist had cut into the shop’s front door.

The hustle continued as they grew into second and third locations in the neighborhood.

Growth is great … until it hinders the business. With customers lined up at the window, foot traffic in the other locations and wholesale orders coming in from nearby stores, the initial success of Just Bagels was almost its demise.

“It just became too much,” Nordquist said. “I had bagels coming out of everywhere. I was trying to

run three stores and picking up wholesale accounts, and we didn’t have the infrastructure to handle it.”

Enter Charlie Contreras. After buying into the company 25 years ago, he became the CEO — and the perfect complement to Nordquist and O’Connell — turning the business in a new direction.

“He was exactly what we were looking for,” Nordquist said. “He came in with a finance background, and he’s very, very smart. He’s allowed me to be the voice of the company, sell the bagels and take care of the customers.”

Between the three, there’s a specific chemistry that makes the magic happen, and it all stems from mutual respect.

“We all have a job,” Nordquist said. “And nobody wants the other person’s job.”

While Nordquist is the face of the brand, O’Connell is focused on running the bakery. And Contreras? “The Wizard,” as Nordquist calls him, works behind the curtain to manage the financial side.

“We work like three peas in a pod,” Nordquist said. It only took four years for the trio to grow Just Bagels out of its first 10,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility as the business expanded into frozen production. In 2000, the bakery moved into the Bronx’s Hunts Point neighborhood, taking advantage of tax breaks

—Left Just Bagels started as a walk-up window in the Bronx. Today, these New York bagels are available across the country and even around the world.

and Con Edison incentives on gas and electric service rates.

Today, Hunts Point is known as one of the most prominent industrial neighborhoods for food production in the US.

“That was the best move we ever made,” Nordquist said, noting the area’s high property values.

That said, scoring such valuable real estate ultimately landlocked the bakery. But with a sharp business acumen and great relationship with the community, Just Bagels secured the neighboring property for expansion when the owner was ready to sell.

The operation currently has 52,000 square feet to produce roughly 250,000 bagels every day with a diverse customer mix that includes foodservice, hospitality, airlines, colleges, local retail, and directto-consumer (DTC) via the bakery’s website and QVC, cable television’s home shopping network.

The brand made its way onto QVC in 2019, a few years after Nordquist helped one of the network’s on-air personalities, Jimmy the Baker, develop a “flagel,” a thin-and-crispy bagel variety, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

“I’m a pretty good salesman, and I obviously really believe in my product,” Nordquist said. “But I couldn’t have imagined how successful we would be on QVC. In 2020, my sales dropped by 70 percent because of the pandemic. How did I survive that? QVC.”

That year, QVC sales went from 5% of Just Bagels’ business to 15%. The partnership has also been serendipitous in terms of product development: It’s a terrific test market for new flavors rang -

ing from caramel apple and chocolate blueberry to Tuscan pizza. One of the most avant-garde flavor innovations for QVC? An asiago hashbrown bagel.

The LTO style that comes with appearing on QVC allows Just Bagels to get creative with its offerings while developing brand recognition for consumers.

In its first year on the network, Just Bagels won the “Best New Food Brand” award, followed by “Customer Favorite Food” in 2020 and 2021. The next year, Just Bagels was again named “Customer Favorite Food” and also earned the “Best Breakfast” award.

This year Just Bagels won those two categories, plus “Most Recommended Brand” and “Favorite Breakfast,” both for the first time, making a clean sweep in its eligible QVC award categories.

One big draw is the ability for people to experience a New York bagel from anywhere in the country — and several other points on the globe.

This isn’t a New York “style” bagel made somewhere else. What makes this product special is, literally, in the water.

“When you make a New York bagel, you have to start with water from the

Thanks to the artisanal style of production, Just Bagels are like snowflakes: Each one is different.

Photo by Avant Food Media

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Catskill Mountains, which is the best water in the world for making pizza, pasta and bread,” Nordquist said.

Then again, it’s not just the water.

“There’s a specific process, too,” he said. “And when you put it all together, it’s spectacular.”

That process isn’t an easy one, especially when using ingredients like malt and molasses and relying on long proofing fermentation times, as well as extra steps like boiling before baking. But the Just Bagels team has perfected the art.

In addition to the Catskills water, the bakery uses a proprietary base blend.

“We’re scratch bakers, but people are also human,” Nordquist said. “It’s possible to forget things like adding the right amount of salt, and if that happens, and we don’t find out until the bagels come out, it can create a lot of waste.”

By developing the mix with ingredient developer Bread Partners, Just Bagels can adhere to its scratch formula while simplifying the process for the operators.

“We made it so they can’t make a mistake,” Nordquist said. “The bag has the malt, molasses, all-natural conditioner and the other ingredients, so all they have to do is add the yeast and it’s ready to go.”

Ultimately, it streamlines the process at the front of the line and allows for the time needed to create an artisan-like bagel with consistent quality and distinct look.

“Our bagels are like snowflakes in that no two look alike,” Nordquist said. “For big customers that need consistentlooking bagels, I’m not sure that we

could be that. We’re just not a ‘supermarket bagel.’ We’re a different kind of company, and we have a different kind of customer.”

Creating those “snowflakes” is an intense process that requires plenty of retarding time to ensure proper flavor development.

After the bagel rings are formed on a Bake Tech dough makeup line, racks sit in two proof boxes — up to 100 racks at a time — to rise before heading into the fermentation room where they spend anywhere from 8 to 12 hours at 38°F to allow the yeast, malt and sugar to create that flavor profile.

“It’s almost like a banana ripening,” Nordquist said. “The aging process is what brings it all together, and you can’t rush that.”

While water from the Catskills is vital to the process, how that water is used is just as important. The bagels must be boiled — not steamed or bathed — to develop a texture that’s chewy on the inside while crispy on the outside when toasted. To achieve that, they’re submerged in 1,100 gallons of water held in a Babbco system before they’re baked.

Space constraints keep Nordquist’s eye on neighboring properties; when the opportunity arises, he hopes to expand operations across the street or even a few doors down the block, if possible.

In the meantime, acquiring the property next door provided ample room to innovate in the packaging area when Just Bagels knocked down the walls to expand the footprint.

As the bakery grows, the company is making incremental investments in

“When you make a New York bagel, you have to start with water from the Catskill Mountains, which is the best water in the world for making pizza, pasta and bread.”

Cliff Nordquist | president | Just Bagels

technology to streamline the system while staying true to the original process. Most recently, Just Bagels invested in packaging technology through Rexfab, including a Hartmann system that slices and bags bagels into 6-packs and then case-loads them in a variety of configurations.

“From beginning to end, Rexfab designed the system for our specific needs and fine-tuned it to get it just right,” Nordquist said. “Then they sent people to help us get the line going.”

Having the new packaging system in place keeps things running smoothly at the end of the line during those days when flexibility is critical for efficiency.

Take a drive through Hunts Point, and the view out the window will grossly undersell the innovation taking place inside the building walls.

Food safety certification — kosher or otherwise — requires the utmost care in not only ingredient traceability but also equipment sanitation. And when every certification comes with its own unique set of standards, it’s a lot to live up to.

“It definitely adds another level of supervision,” Nordquist said. “We really work hard at our food safety. We’re constant with it. If we weren’t SQF Level 2, becoming OU- and CRC-certified would have been a lot more difficult.”

“It also does assorted packs,” Nordquist said. “We can load two packs of one variety and two packs of another, without having a person there doing it. That was a big upgrade for us.”

Through a collaborative partnership, Rexfab designed the system using a host of product samples for a variety of packaging configurations.

For instance, Just Bagels maintains a high level of food safety standards, not only as an SQF Level 2-certified facility but also through kosher certification from both the Orthodox Union (OU) and Chicago Rabbinical Council (CRC), two of the strictest kosher governing bodies.

“Baking is, simply put, a dirty business,” Nordquist said. “The facility gets destroyed on a daily basis. Then it gets cleaned down and sanitized, and we do it all again. And it all starts with our food safety team.”

Strict adherence requires keeping kosher ingredients and equipment separate at all times. In fact, asiago bagel production is done in a dedicated area of the bakery, with completely different equipment, right down to the baggers.

That effort is led by Rosanna Grullon, director of food safety and quality assurance, who keeps a constant eye on compliance. On any given day, an auditor could pop into Just Bagels and find the facility up to par.

“The pursuit of these certifications has led to enhanced quality control measures because the adherence to these strict guidelines results in a more controlled and consistent process,” Nordquist said. “Rosanna makes sure we’re always ready for an audit at all times; we even audit ourselves.”

Every day, Grullon lives up to her duty of adhering to all food safety standards, even texting Nordquist on the production floor to remind him about wearing a beard cover.

“Compliance always starts with leadership,” Grullon said. And Nordquist is always on board.

WATCH NOW: Cliff Nordquist describes how one supplier partnership led to big innovation in the packaging department.

Food safety is a huge priority in this SQF Level 2-certified facility, and that includes sanitary equipment design.

Photo by Avant Food Media

And then there’s sesame, deemed the ninth allergen by the US Food and Drug Administration. It might seem impossible for a landlocked bagel facility to manage such a proliferative allergen, but Just Bagels’ commitment to food safety has created a firm foundation to do just that.

“We manage it like any other allergen or kosher-related ingredient,” Nordquist said. “We take it, we tackle it and we put all our resources into it.”

The process starts in the vendorapproval stage and continues all the way through packaging.

“Our approved vendors must provide all necessary documentation before the product is received to ensure our suppliers’ processes also prevent crosscontamination,” Grullon said. “Once it’s received, it’s segregated in our

warehouse and is then labeled as an allergen at all times and everywhere in the facility.”

As with every bakery dealing with the sesame situation, production runs are scheduled last, and rigorous cleaning procedures are done at each changeover. It’s time consuming, but worth it for the safety of Just Bagels’ consumers.

Having certification under some of the strictest food safety standards enables Just Bagels to maintain the utmost safety with this allergen, too.

In addition to food safety, sustainability is also important, including sourcing from local vendors to reduce transportation emissions, as well as investing in solar panels and energy-efficient lighting and equipment. The bakery even invested in steam technology to reduce water usage for cleaning equipment.

Certification under some of the strictest food safety standards enables Just Bagels to also maintain the utmost safety with sesame, which was recently named the ninth allergen.

Photo by Avant Food Media

Photo courtesy of Just Bagels

Minimize labor issues!

Packaging innovation that promotes efficiency has been a critical factor in supporting Just Bagels’ growth.

“We don’t have unlimited energy,” Nordquist said. “We have to be careful about everything we use.”

Just Bagels knows how to marry a growth mindset with a time-honored process. With that in mind, it could be gearing up for the next phase of growth, with a round of television spots set to air on Food Network this fall.

If the business booms from it, the bakery will take it as it comes, but one thing is certain ... Just Bagels isn’t leaving the old neighborhood anytime soon; it’s a key factor in the bakery’s success.

“There’s something about this place,” Nordquist said. “The process, the water, the environment, the temperature — the Bronx — you put it all together, and you get a very tasty bagel.”

It took the company a lot of bootstrapping to get where it is today, and that required a combination of grit, business savvy and entrepreneurial spirit. How else does a Bronx bagel bakery get through 9/11, the Great Recession and COVID-19 and hardly miss a beat?

Looking back on it all, Nordquist doesn’t have many regrets … except maybe letting go of that original walk-up window that still draws lines of people today.

Then again, there might be one other small regret.

“I repaid those original loans to my parents,” Nordquist said. “But seeing how successful we’ve become, they wish they hadn’t taken it back.” CB

INNOVATIONS FROM THE BAKERY FLOOR

In a 52,000-sq.-ft. facility, Just Bagels creates a tens of thousands of bagels a day while testing product innovation through its partnership with QVC. Creating New York bagels with an artisan-style process requires a careful mix of time and automation. Below is a list of suppliers the bakery relies on for this unique process.

Babbco boiling system and tunnel ovens

Bake Tech dough makeup

Fortress metal detection

Hartmann slicing and packaging from Rexfab

IMA-Ilapak bagging from Rexfab

KB Systems silo and ingredient handling

Rexfab case packing

Shaffer horizontal mixers

Wexxar Bel case forming from Rexfab

WP Bakery Systems dividing

Photo by Avant Food Media

Photo by Avant Food Media

PAN STACKERPAN UNSTACKER

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• Fast yet gentle vertical motion of the head, offers precise and accurate pan pick-up and drop points, translates into less jams and extends pan life expectancy.

• Reduces noiseemission.Itismuchappreciatedbyoperators.

•Using electromagnets allows to put « intelligence » in the system such as being able to use pans with different carbon content (regular, E pans, E2 pans). It allows to minimize jams before calling an operator by trying 3 times to lift pans before calling an alarm. Each of the 3 times uses a different magnetic force.

•Using electromagnets for both stacking and unstacking minimizes any type of metal shavings generated by the conventional « banging » of pans to release from a permanentmagnet.

•The system has no chain. Chains will stretch unevenly creating jams with stacks moving up or down. s. Chainswillstretchunevenlycreatingjamswithstacksmovingup ordown.

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Ties that Bind

For Signature Baking’s OJ DeSouza, all roads lead to home.

BY JOANIE SPENCER

For Oscar “OJ” DeSouza Jr., a second-generation Indian American and fourth-generation baker, family is everything.

In fact, his fierce dedication to family was the gravitational force that pulled him from pursuing a career in the medical field and toward his parents’ bakery, Dallas-based Signature Baking, where DeSouza is now the company’s president.

“I had studied biomedical engineering in college and had taken the MCAT for medical school,” DeSouza recalled. “And my dad said to me, ‘Your MCAT score is good for five years. Why don’t you try working with me for a year? See if you like what we build.’ And I thought, ‘Why not?’”

His father’s motives were thinly veiled: DeSouza was there to help revitalize the business through a fresh perspective and innate business savvy. He and his father immediately began bouncing new ideas off each other and developing plans for how to grow the operation.

The father-son relationship morphed into a business partnership, and DeSouza never looked back.

“I realized it was fun to help build the company that my dad had started,” he said. “I grew up working in the bakery, putting buns into a bag two at a time. When I came back to work alongside him,

All photos courtesy of Signature Baking

I was working with clients, building relationships and problem-solving in the bakery and for the business. Biomedical engineering had tickled my brain in a very specific way, but in this environment, I could see the results of my work almost immediately, and that was really satisfying.”

Taking on a leadership role in any business — let alone the family business that was not the intended path — comes with a steep learning curve. DeSouza had a specific objective: learn the processes his father had put in place, and then optimize and build upon them. It’s no small task, even for someone who had set out on a highly specialized path. He pursued an additional venture, returning to school for an Executive MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Since stepping into the business, DeSouza has focused on streamlining what has been a predominantly manual operation — from ordering and inventory to the process itself — through technological advances and equipment automation.

One of his first big projects involved tapping his brother, a software developer, to digitize the ordering system that had been done with pen and paper for years. With the new custom ERP system, tasks that previously took hours are now done in about 30 minutes, and customers receive an invoice via email immediately upon order delivery.

It was the first step in unlocking Signature Baking’s growth potential.

“It helped us scale faster because we weren’t spending so much time worrying about whether we counted items for an order correctly or if the customer received their invoice,” DeSouza said. “And now, we have far less paper to chase.”

The next stage of evolution was streamlining the customer base to better accommodate natural ebbs and flows. True to its name, Signature Baking was built around custom orders, providing a range of products for any customer’s specific needs. But when certain types of clients like convention centers had stark, often extreme, differences in their order cadence depending on seasonality and other factors, it took a toll on the bakery’s production schedule.

“When certain customers were busy, we were really busy,” DeSouza said. “But when they weren’t busy, it created a lot of inconsistency in terms of production and scheduling, as well as our labor needs.”

To solve that challenge, DeSouza strategically shifted the bakery from being all things to all customers to now focusing primarily on specific items for foodservice customers.

“We’ve worked on narrowing our focus to make fewer items and more variations of specific product types,” he said. “Now, we’re concentrating on being great at things like hamburger buns and Texas toast and catering to that segment of the market.”

DeSouza discovered that narrowing the focus has actually enabled the bakery to be more innovative in its product development.

“I realized it was fun to help build the company that my dad had started.”

OJ DeSouza | president | Signature Baking

“Now, innovation looks a lot like working closely with customers to identify what they want to see,” he said. “One particular chef likes to create a new bun every month as a limited-time offer, and things like that allow us to get really creative. We get to have fun with it and make things like a jalapeño cheddar hot dog bun, which is my favorite.”

One of the biggest conundrums in the baking industry is the generation gap … more specifically, when millennials entered the workforce, asking the question that has plagued parents for generations: “Why?”

It’s a question that old-school bakers — those who learned to bake with their senses instead of machines — are not often comfortable answering. Then again, when a family bakery flips to the next generation, it’s an inevitable conversation.

For DeSouza, who was academically trained in the scientific method, asking those hard questions came quite naturally in his quest to create sustainable solutions for the bakery operation and, ultimately, the business.

“When I came in, I brought a fresh perspective, not knowing why my dad did certain things and just asking a lot of questions,” he recalled. “Sometimes, his only answer was, ‘Because we’ve always done it that way.’”

Then again, the scientific method also demands that conclusions lead to more questions, and for DeSouza, that’s the real key for growth.

“Now, I fear that I’ve been in it long enough that I don’t necessarily have that fresh perspective anymore,” he said, “and I find myself saying things like, ‘That’s just how we’ve been doing it.’”

Following his father’s cue, DeSouza looked to his family and rediscovered that fresh perspective. In 2017, De Souza’s wife, Jennifer, left her own career where she used her MBA in the healthcare industry, to join the business and cast a new light once again.

“She came in with her own expertise and brought yet another fresh perspective on what we’ve been doing, and that’s been really helpful,” he said.

As Jennifer focuses on refining internal processes and account management, Signature Baking is on the precipice of the next stage of growth.

To maintain momentum, DeSouza believes the company must focus on continuous improvement. His leadership is rooted in the open-mindedness that comes with always asking new questions.

OJ DeSouza (center) created sustainable solutions for Signature Baking by constantly questioning the status quo.

“Innovation looks a lot like working closely with customers to identify what they want to see.”

OJ DeSouza | president | Signature Baking

ADDING SPEED TO THE BAKING MIX.

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In that quest, this year DeSouza joined the American Bakers Association (ABA) and got involved with BEMA to take advantage of the associations’ respective education, networking and advocacy programs, as well as learn from other bakers and tap into new supplier networks as the operation expands.

“We’re refining all these aspects of the bakery and taking that leap from being a ‘mom and pop’ to a commercial bakery,” DeSouza said.

Recent investments in automation are helping in that regard, as the company of around 40 employees leans into technology to further streamline the processes that help Signature Baking’s products stand out in the market.

this a family bakery, DeSouza doesn’t necessarily require blood ties.

“We’ve created a nice community for our company, and that’s something everybody here values,” he said. “We have a culture where everyone does what’s best for the company because it’s what’s best for us all.”

Then again, those blood ties are still bound the tightest.

Maintaining the CEO title, DeSouza’s dad still spends time in the bakery, tinkering with different product varieties or helping to oversee new equipment installations as the bakery doubles its footprint.

It’s been 17 years since DeSouza walked away from a career in medicine to join his father in the family business, and he has never looked back. Not once.

And when he thinks about his own children — Oscar, 3, and Sophia, 2 — and his hopes for the bakery, he sees the family business as foundational.

“For me, it’s important to teach them the business in terms of work ethic and family first,” DeSouza said. “But whatever they do, I just want them to be happy. That’s all anyone wants for their kids.”

The bakery has seen its share of challenges since it opened in 1978, and the family has always banded together to see them through, whether they spend each day in the bakery or in other careers.

For DeSouza, that’s the real heartbeat of the business.

WATCH NOW:

OJ DeSouza explains how the bakery’s growth impacts automation.

“These investments are going to pour some gasoline on the fire, so to speak,” DeSouza said. “We’re ready to start growing as quickly as we can.”

For DeSouza, that means growing not only the operation but also the people. While this mid-size bakery is still relatively small from an executive standpoint, he believes in developing managerial talent with a driving principle: Treat them like family. The DeSouzas have been a family of bakers from the time his grandfather sold baked goods in India, to when his father opened a storefront in Dallas, to Signature Baking’s commercial operation today. While his goal is to keep

“I prefer to not go down that road,” he said. “It’s more fun to look ahead and think about what’s possible.”

“We have stuck together as a family to make sure that what my parents built would be here to last,” he said. “Maybe secretly — like my dad — I’m hoping to keep building something that will go on for generations.” CB

OJ DeSouza (center) keeps his family at the heart of Signature Baking because family built the business.

If you bake it, we can slice it.

If we slice it, we

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A Taste of Both Worlds

Cheddies is redefining the cheese cracker.

BY ANNIE HOLLON

Slowly but surely, snacking is inching to steal baseball’s crown as America’s pastime. From a sweet treat to a savory delight, consumers are finding new ways to snack. However, they are also increasingly seeking clean label, better-for-you products. Emerging brands like San Antonio, TX-based Cheddies are stepping up to the plate to fulfill that need, one innovation at a time.

This snack brand’s journey began at the Pergola family dinner table. At this particular meal, Francisco Pergola, CEO, and his brother Tomas, co-founder, listened as their parents, both doctors, shared the challenges their patients faced in finding healthy snacks that would satisfy their cravings.

“At the time, there were protein bars and protein shakes galore, and I think the only savory snacks on the market were Quest Chips and Simply Protein,” Francisco said. “[My parents] said, ‘All our patients want to eat are Cheetos and Doritos. Why isn’t there a slightly better option where they don’t feel like they’re making a compromise but just making healthier eating decisions?’”

All photos courtesy of Cheddies

Cheddies is paving a new path for snacks that are better-for-you and better for the planet.

That conversation ignited the idea for a new kind of salty snack with a betterfor-you focus. With an evergreen entrepreneurial spirit, the Pergola brothers created their own cheese cracker.

Enter Cheddies: a protein-rich cracker with cheddar cheese as its main ingredient. The product is also certified non-GMO, humanely produced and made from regenerative ingredients.

The brothers took advantage of myriad opportunities to develop their company, participating in pitch competitions and accelerator programs such as the Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) CoLAB program in 2018 and SKU Accelerator’s Austin Track 8 in 2020 to gain additional connections, resources and support.

“We applied to the DFA program because Cheddies’ main ingredient is cheese — we pride ourselves on being the only cheese cracker made of cheese,” Francisco said, noting that the brand has the highest percentage of fresh cheese in its product when compared to similar products in the category. “We wanted to get the inside scoop on who’s making cheese, buying cheese, and how it’s being pushed around the country … we wanted to see if there was at least foresight on how we could overcome some costly hurdles.”

The CoLAB experience accomplished exactly that. In fact, participating in the DFA program made all the difference when the Pergolas experienced a cheese shortage during a trial run.

“Our number came up short, and we were empty-handed and freaking out,” Francisco recalled. “We really needed cheese for the following day to finish our trials. It was a pretty do-or-die situation.”

On a time crunch, the brothers reached out to their DFA connections in hopes of securing enough cheese to finish the trial run.

“We called our connections at DFA, and they were like, ‘Don’t worry, we’ve got you guys,’” Francisco said. “When we arrived at the facility at 5 a.m., there was a truck waiting for us in the parking lot with a pallet of exactly the cheese we needed. It was a really cool moment for us.”

An initial round of funding from friends and family enabled the brothers to do a small pilot run in Pennsylvania at a co-manufacturing facility that had a mini cracker line and that didn’t require full batches.

“We were going to do 80-lb. batches, which is still a lot of product, but it was a manageable number to explain to people,” Francisco said. “Come the first PO, we could reproduce this at a larger scale.”

From there, the Pergolas invested in branding and marketing, which included developing a website and social media presence, to get the word out about Cheddies.

Francisco (left) and Tomas Pergola sought out a regenerative dairy farm to produce Cheddies’ proprietary cheddar.

As the pair worked to bring their product to market, they hit a pandemic-sized speed bump, which made ingredient acquisition challenging for Cheddies’ core ingredient: cheddar cheese. Due to the time it takes for cheese to age before it can be used — and the inability to stock up on supply as CPG giants bought up the cheese reserves during COVID — the Pergolas found themselves sourcing the ingredient from various suppliers.

“There was a bunch of fresh, two-weekold and one-month-old cheese, but we didn’t need that,” Francisco explained. “It put us in a fragile situation where we were buying a quarter pallet out of Vermont and a quarter pallet out of Wisconsin, and it was unbelievably costly.”

He also noted that the varying cheeses impacted product quality.

In brainstorming ways to prevent another cheese shortage from limiting their operations and maintain consistent quality for Cheddies, the Pergola brothers looked into how they could create their own cheddar cheese.

“It’s not a terribly complicated process by any means, so we got to researching,” Francisco said. “We want to be the best cheese cracker out there, not just another cheese cracker. To be the best cheese cracker, we have to use the best cheddar cheese.”

A self-proclaimed “ag head,” Francisco discovered that producing high-quality cheddar called for milk from a dairy that followed regenerative organic farming practices. The Pergolas landed on Alexandre Family Farm in Crescent City, CA, which provides its cows with open pastures to create the best milk possible while also having a positive impact on the environment.

From creation to certification — which included a six-month cheese aging process, obtaining the necessary certifications and paperwork, finalizing business agreements and manufacturing time — it took the Pergola brothers about a year and a half to get the crackers on store shelves. However, the investment of time and research paid off. Cheddies became the first business to produce regenerative organic cheddar and the first snack company to use it in its product. As a result, the brothers were able to gain traction in the category and appeal to investors, with the regenerative cheddar becoming a major part of the brand’s fundraising story.

“When we did our big seed rounds, we raised more than $3 million,” Francisco said. “A big part of that was showcasing our passion and our enthusiasm for being the first regenerative snack brand on the market and for being two years ahead of our competition.”

The Pergola brothers went through several trial runs before finding the right amount of cheese for Cheddies.

“We want to be the best cheese cracker out there, not just another cheese cracker. To be the best cheese cracker, we have to use the best cheddar cheese.”

Francisco Pergola | CEO | Cheddies

With cheddar as the crackers’ primary ingredient, the R&D process was what Francisco described as some of the hardest times due to the pair’s lack of knowledge about manufacturing.

“Looking back, I think we could have avoided a large majority of the mistakes that we made,” he said. “But one of the biggest issues that we faced early on is we were trying to use way more cheese in our formula than we use today.”

The amount of cheese they were using made it nearly impossible to manufacture the crackers.

“I remember the first place we went, we mixed the dough and they opened it up and it was basically like a piece of chewing gum because of how much cheddar

was in it,” Francisco said. “It was like a melted ball of cheddar cheese. It was delicious, but it was impossible to sheet the dough down to a millimeter and cut it consistently.”

Batch after batch, they kept reducing the amount of cheese in the recipe until they achieved a formula that created a dough stable enough for commercialization.

Now a national brand, Cheddies is available in retailers such as Sprouts Farmers Market, Hy-Vee, H-E-B and Albertsons. Outside of traditional retail locations, the cheese crackers can also be found at big tech company campuses such as Google as well as in the sky on domestic first-class American Airlines flights.

The Pergolas are in the process of expanding the brand’s distribution to big box stores, c-stores and other wholesale accounts. Cheddies currently has three flavor varieties, and it has been able to enter other channels by altering the

pack sizes from its traditional 4.2-oz. box to a 2-oz. snack pack.

“Changing the pack size has been a big strategy for us,” Francisco shared. “And seeing what other channels we could segue into, I would say it’s helped a lot.”

As Cheddies’ co-founders look to the future of the brand, new flavor varieties are not out of the question. With the benefit of the cheese crackers having a strong enough base flavor to stand alone, Francisco shared that they’re exploring new flavor opportunities emerging in the salty snacks segment such as Thai chili.

“I would love to do a sweet and spicy,” he mused. “We are rolling out a chili lime that has a little bit of sweetness to it. It’s delicious, and I know that it’s something that

we’d pitch to convenience stores since that’s a pretty hot flavor these days.”

In addition to its regenerative cheddar, Francisco also shared that they hope to find a wheat supplier that would continue Cheddies’ brand commitment of supporting regenerative farming.

“When you talk about carbon, saving the earth and all of these terms, they can seem kind of foreign to the consumer,” he said. “But I think at the end of the day, the core message is that regenerative tastes better. It has higher nutrients, it’s tastier, and I’m hoping that catches.”

Five years in, Cheddies is making its mark on the salty snacks category and proving the resilience of entrepreneurship and regenerative agriculture. CB

“At the end of the day, the core message is that regenerative tastes better. It has higher nutrients, it’s tastier, and I’m hoping that catches.”

Francisco Pergola | CEO | Cheddies

All Hands on Deck

Food manufacturing is not for the faint of heart, especially when it comes with the responsibility of food safety compliance. Supply chain challenges; ever-evolving environmental, biological and chemical factors; and constant shifts in consumer preferences and consumption habits are only a few factors bakers must contend with when it comes to internal and external food safety audits.

For more than 20 years, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) has served as the gold standard for food safety, providing benchmark requirements for globally accepted third-party certifications such as the Safe Quality Food (SQF) program, Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000 and the British Retail Consortium Global Standard (BRCGS).

BY MARI RYDINGS

But increasing threats to food safety are driving potentially significant changes in the audit world. Those changes are taking the form of increased customer audit requests and more intense requirements that go beyond the GFSI benchmarks.

“We’re seeing more audits now that consumers are more aware of what’s on the labels,” said Jim McBride, VP of quality assurance at Chicago-based Schulze & Burch Biscuit Co. “There are now gluten-free, dairy-free and organic audits, and with those comes the rise of new auditing agencies.”

© shisu_ka on Adobe Stock

With audits becoming more complex, a top-down culture of food safety is an essential ingredient for success.

“The depth of the audits is getting deeper,” McBride added. “They’re adding more questions and more topics. They’re trying to drill down to make sure we’re doing what our food safety plan says we’re doing.”

Increased scrutiny comes with stricter requirements.

“I know of a large retailer that has added requirements on top of its standard food safety audit request,” said Ranjeet Klair, a food safety director at The Acheson Group, a global food safety consulting firm. “They have so many additional requirements it is actually shifting the food industry.”

Klair has observed audit requests such as customers asking food manufacturers to use in-line metal detectors with X-ray machines to help detect foreign materials and requiring them to ensure that warm water runs from handwashing sinks within a specific number of seconds.

“The evolution of audits is driven by what is happening in the industry,” said Steve Robert, global VP of sales, marketing and product innovation at AIB International. “The state of affairs is is dynamic as new risks and concerns emerge.”

Klair said two primary factors are driving increased audit requests and the additional requirements: ongoing supply chain hurdles and rising instances of food fraud.

“The number of food fraud incidents jumped during COVID due to an unstable supply chain for ingredients,” Klair said. “The more issues you have in the supply chain, the harder it is to access the right materials, which leads to adulteration and misbranding and black market sourcing and materials. As a result, some of the

larger US retailers found their foreign material-related customer complaint numbers had increased.”

The industry mantra is “Audit-ready every day.” Achieving that requires a top-down commitment to developing and maintaining a culture of food safety.

“An effective food safety strategy starts at the top with a visionary leader who leads by example and who exemplifies your commitment to food safety and the associated investment it requires,” Robert said.

Day-to-day, the responsibility for staying on top of shifting audit requirements lands on the quality assurance team. Legally, however, the food safety buck stops with senior leadership as determined by the Responsible Corporate Officer (RCO) Doctrine, also known as the Park Doctrine, which dates back to a 1975 US Supreme Court ruling.

Disruptions in the ingredient supply chain have resulted in increased audit requirements.

© dusanpetkovic1 on Adobe Stock

“The time for senior management to walk through the plant is not when they follow the auditor around. The time for senior management to walk through the plant is the month before the auditor arrives.”

Jim McBride | VP of quality assurance | Schulze & Burch Biscuit Co.

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“The first questions the FDA will ask when it comes into a facility is, ‘Who is the chief operating officer?’ and ‘Who is the president?’” said Gale Prince, founder of Sage Food Safety Consultants.

Bakeries with air-tight internal food safety management systems — the key to acing third-party audits and government inspections — have a few things in common. First, they have an organization-wide culture of food safety led by the c-suite. That means they hold every employee accountable for understanding — and following — food safety requirements and best practices. Additionally, they view their internal programs through the lens of continuous improvement vs. something that must be done solely for compliance purposes.

“When you’re doing internal audits, your list should be longer than the auditor’s,” McBride advised. “If you can find it and correct it, then that doesn’t leave anything for them to find.”

Establishing a top-down culture of food safety requires a significant investment of time from the senior leadership team. At Schulze & Burch, the first 15 minutes of weekly senior management meetings are set aside for food safety.

“We plug in a different program every week,” McBride said. “Senior management can hear what we’re focusing on internally and see the trends and charts. It gives them a platform where they can ask questions. We do it all virtually, which allows us to roll in our remote sites. We’ve found that doing it ‘bite size’ like this allows focus and interaction.”

At Thomasville, GA-based Flowers Foods, leadership created a food safety

mission that recognizes and upholds the importance of a food safety culture.

“Food safety culture is about more than simply following a checklist of regulations and standards; it’s a way for bakery teams to know what’s right, what’s wrong, and how to focus as a team on a solution through shared practices and solutions,” said Molly Schmidt, senior VP of food safety, quality and regulatory at Flowers Foods. “Our network of food safety champions across the organization provides consistent messaging and reinforcement and helps us identify opportunities for ongoing training and awareness of food safety principles.”

Beyond meetings and mission statements, however, visible engagement from the leadership team is essential.

“CEOs need to show interest and involvement,” Prince said. “Sometimes you need to show up at two o’clock in the morning when the sanitation crew is there.”

Food safety is just one reason why bakery leadership isn’t a 9-to-5 role.

“The time for senior management to walk through the plant is not when they follow the auditor around,” McBride echoed. “The time for senior management to walk through the plant is the month before the auditor arrives.”

Engagement also means allocating capital to infrastructure upgrades, including equipment that meets food safety certification standards.

“Hygienically designed equipment is fundamental to food safety,” noted Jon Anderson, managing consultant with Bakery Equipment Assessment Group (BEAG). “When a bakery equipment manufacturer follows the BEAG

“Food safety culture is about more than simply following a checklist of regulations and standards; it’s a way for bakery teams to know what’s right, what’s wrong, and how to focus as a team on a solution through shared practices and solutions.”

Molly Schmidt | senior VP of food safety, quality and regulatory | Flowers Foods

equipment certification process and conforms to the ANSI/ASB/Z50.2-2015 standard, they provide the baker with an essential advantage in establishing an effective product safety program and compliance with regulatory and certification inspection requirements.”

Keeping tabs on what may be coming down the pike in terms of government regulations and audit requirements is just as important as staying on top of internal audits. Industry organizations such as the American Bakers Association (ABA) serve as conduits of information between bakers and regulatory bodies.

One rule ABA and industry consultants are keeping their eye on is the food traceability rule.

“It’s the last of the series of the Food Safety Modernization Act regulations, often referred to as the FSMA Section 204 rule,” said Rasma Zvaners, VP of regulatory and technical services for ABA. “The compliance date for this is January 20, 2026, so this is one we’re continuing to monitor.”

As the date draws closer, Klair said at least one retailer is requesting stricter traceability requirements than what the rule will require.

“Where the industry wants a traceability exercise to be done once a year, this retailer wants it done two times a year,” she shared.

Zvaners added that bakers can also expect to feel the impact of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s restructuring plans, announced earlier this year. The latest progress was the late-August appointment of Jim Jones as the first deputy commissioner for human foods.

“That’s something that will likely play a role in how the agency moves forward with compliance,” Zvaners said. “There are several moving pieces, and we’re going to monitor that to see how it impacts our industry, both in food safety and nutrition policy.”

Also on the audit horizon is the likelihood of more FDA inspections.

“We can anticipate the FDA is going to be doing more plant inspections, and they’re going to be in far greater detail than we’ve ever seen before because of FSMA and the training the FDA has done with its inspection staff,” Prince said.

Bakers should also prepare for the return of unannounced government audits. When the COVID-19 public health

emergency expired in May, FDA ended its pandemic-era policy of pre-announced full-scope inspections for FSMA.

While meeting additional audit requirements can add yet another layer of complexity to the daily challenges that come with food production, Prince encourages bakers to consider the benefits, especially in terms of continuous improvement.

“A third-party auditor evaluates your operation with a fresh set of eyes and a broad knowledge of what they are seeing in other facilities,” Prince said. “It becomes a training tool for not only the managers, supervisors and vice presidents but also for the people working on the line. It’s another piece of your food safety culture.” CB

© Jonatan on Adobe Stock

An essential component of an effective food safety program is equipment that meets certification requirements.

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Beekeepers work hard to make sure honey bees have a diverse diet, a hive free from parasites and plenty of honey to eat.

A healthy hive produces more honey than it needs. Any extra honey is extracted and made available for sale.

Purchasing honey helps support the beekeepers that protect our bees.

Honey helps.

Pretty Enough to Eat

When it comes to aesthetics, adding an artisan touch can create a new consumer experience.

BY MAGGIE GLISAN

Swing into a local mom-and-pop cake shop, and you might find an array of beautifully decorated desserts, all made by hand and easily customized for any theme or celebration. Intricate designs, elaborate piping and sophisticated decorations are all on the table for a premium price.

Certainly, there’s a consumer and an occasion for just such a treat, but commercial bakers can also tap into the special occasion aesthetic on a larger scale.

Increased bakery automation doesn’t mean premium aesthetics need to be thrown by the wayside, and today’s advanced technology allows for greater flexibility that can handle more complex product formats and trend-forward finishes.

By finding the right combination of automation and hands-on labor, commercial bakers can achieve artisanal-looking results that deftly keep up with the buzziest looks in baked goods.

Richmond, CA-based Rubicon Bakers, which specializes in cakes and cupcakes (and has recently expanded into muffins and loaf cakes), relies on a batch manufacturing process to achieve its frosted, piped and garnished treats.

Sebastian Siethoff, CEO of Rubicon, said it’s not a highly industrialized process — the manufacturing line includes people manually decorating cakes and adding final touches — but the company works to streamline the process and automates where it can.

© William Higgins on Adobe Stock

“It’s scratch baking, so it’s a little bit like baking in mom’s kitchen, only we do it on the line, at a bigger scale, with many, many people,” he said. “Batch production is just how we have to approach the artisanal and more premium side of baking. But we’ve figured out how to be enormously efficient, even with that production process.”

Siethoff admits that working the line for this type of product can be demanding and requires extra attention to execute the additional layers of complexity. Because there’s a greater degree of manual labor, there’s a greater chance of error and product waste.

“It is, mentally, very challenging because the line moves at a certain speed, and you have to keep up,” he said. “Constant focus is required for extended periods of time.”

Although today’s technology has advanced significantly in terms of what can be achieved through automation, not every idea can be executed successfully at scale.

Melissa Trimmer, corporate executive chef and director of the culinary and innovation studio at Dawn Foods, said that while there are machines that can create a variety of icing styles, there’s other, more complex decor that simply must be done by hand.

“There are definitely machines that can fill and ice the cake, but there’s probably going to be a person putting the sprinkles on the sides or piping the rosettes at the top,” Trimmer said. “It’s a matter of getting the right mix of bakers and operators in place to tackle the job most efficiently.”

Siethoff echoed that notion and said it’s important that bakers stick to what

they’re good at and what they can successfully execute at scale.

“There are certain complexities that we can seamlessly take on, and then there are others that we immediately shy away from,” he said. “Not everything can be translated so that you get the right volume, the right price and the right complexity ultimately on the line.”

Enhancing the premium aspect of Rubicon’s products — both in look and flavor — continues to be top of mind for Siethoff and his team, and sometimes that comes at the cost of consistency.

“I think customers are increasingly looking for a premium look, and in many ways, I don’t think that means consistency is as important,” he said. “It just means that the product needs to look beautiful. The taste needs to be appealing and the look needs to be opulent,

and that means really leaning into the artisanal side of things.”

Trimmer said consumers are becoming more and more concerned about authenticity in the baked goods they eat and take into account everything, from sourcing and nutrition to overall look and feel. Despite the fact that more than half of consumers say social media can influence the purchase of sweet baked goods, according to Dawn Foods research, the idea of a bakery item being “Instagrammable” isn’t enough.

“Consumers want the whole package,” she said. “It’s definitely high-quality; it’s multi-sensory. But it’s not all about looks. It’s the way it tastes, the way it smells. It’s the whole experience.”

Siethoff’s goal for Rubicon’s products is to create a phenomenal experience that hits all the senses.

Photo courtesy of Rubicon Bakers

Sprinkles are one way bakers can achieve a premium look at scale with minimal labor.

Source: Mintel

“We want customers to be drawn in by the look of a Rubicon cupcake, by the way it’s decorated — that even in the absence of branding you know it’s a Rubicon cupcake,” he said. “And then we want to fully win them over by delivering on texture and taste, so they do come back for more.”

Looks often reflect the latest bakery trends. As far as cake decorating, Trimmer said she sees two extremes.

“On one end there’s super traditional, old school, simple,” she explained. “And at the other end there’s highly decorated — I’m talking Lambeth-style Victorian, super intricate. So, when we talk about creating cakes at scale, we have to find that happy medium.”

Sprinkles are one way to get to that “sweet spot” in which the final product can be achieved efficiently through automation but still appeal to consumers seeking that homemade look. Sprinkles also tap into the nostalgia trend that has been apparent across food categories for several years but continues to be particularly prominent in bakery. In fact, according to Mintel, 72% of US consumers say they enjoy products that remind them of their childhood.

Trimmer noted that customized sprinkle blends are a viable option for achieving a nostalgic look at scale.

“It’s going to look like this really fancy expensive sprinkle blend that’s on trend, but it was actually super affordable, and it can be used on the line,” she said.

Photo courtesy of Rubicon Bakers

A simple artisan touch can set commercially produced baked goods apart in the aisle.

72% of US consumers enjoy products that remind them of their childhood.

Other edible dessert toppers such as chocolate curls, fresh fruit, nuts and candy can also help commercial bakers achieve a custom look without too much additional hands-on work.

Upscale edible decor such as eyecatching glitter, metallic finishes and shimmery chocolate, or dustings of freeze-dried strawberry powder, matcha powder and crushed meringue can add contrasting texture, a pop of color or a hint of elegance to a cake.

Emily Nejad, founder of Chicago-based Bon Vivant Cakes, shared that she has seen decorators use ruby red and bronze pieces that look like tiny rocks to create a rustic aesthetic.

“It’s like you took a cake and dragged it across the floor of an enchanted garden,” Nejad said. “It’s whimsical; it’s magical; it feels organic. We’ve gone the complete opposite direction of the vintage design. It’s a very maximalist interpretation of a rustic design.”

Nejad said that while classic cake decor remains popular, she’s seeing a shift toward cakes that are a little less buttoned up.

“I call it a modern rustic cake style,” she explained. “These cakes have an organic feel to them. There’s a full coat of buttercream icing on the outside of the cake, with buttercream squiggles that add a whimsical feel.”

The whimsical aesthetic is enhanced by a more carefree — but also carefully calculated — application of other embellishments.

“I’m seeing buttercream crumbles that look like they’ve been haphazardly tossed on the cake, even though the

designer knew exactly what they were doing,” Nejad said. “It may look accidental, but it is intentional.”

Fresh flowers on cakes, especially with pressed flower cakes, are reappearing in custom cake shops. Wildflower cupcakes and daisy desserts are all the rage among Gen X and millennials according to Pinterest Predicts, with searches between September 2020 and September 2022 for “wildflower cupcakes” up 110% and “daisy cupcakes” up 85%, respectively.

While the limited shelf life of flowers can hamper the viability of such offerings for commercial bakers, there are alternatives they can use to tap into the floral trend in a more shelf-stable way.

One option is sugar flowers, which are making a cake decorating comeback.

Not every aesthetic needs to be delivered through piping, buttercream and embellishments. Unique flavors — especially ones that offer vibrant color — can make a striking visual statement while also appealing to consumers’ desire for more adventure in their diets. And it turns out 78% of consumers like to try new foods and food experiences, per Dawn Foods research.

“Demand for colors derived from natural sources has grown among consumers, and brands are responding by moving away from using artificial ingredients,” said Emina Goodman, senior director of colors at ADM.

Often, shelf-stable alternatives such as sugar flowers are available for bakers wanting to tap into decorating trends.

© davit85 on Adobe Stock

Ube, for example, is having a moment in baked goods. The purple yam from the Philippines is turning up in cakes and cupcakes. Other flavors include butterfly pea, with its eye-catching purple-blue hue; turmeric, a golden yellow-orange spice that’s popular for its health benefits; and black sesame, which can give a dramatic dark gothic aesthetic to a number of baked items.

A fresh format can breathe new life into bakery classics, too. Starbucks caused a major stir when it started selling cake pops back in 2011, and in recent years, more commercial bakers have followed suit. Thinking outside of the traditional format box, Lenexa, KS-based Hostess Brands, creator of The Original Squiggle that has adorned its CupCakes product for decades, recently debuted Kazbars, a first-of-itskind candy bar-inspired snack cake bar.

During a presentation at the Deutsche Bank dbAccess Global Consumer Conference earlier this year, Andy Callahan, president and CEO of Hostess Brands, commented on the innovation.

“Our most recent launch, Kazbars, ... takes a cake and puts it in a bar form, in indulgent layers so it leads with indulgence,” he noted. “It reimagines what the indulgence and the snackability of a cake can be for the consumer.”

Along those same lines, Siethoff said he sees opportunity for more innovation in single-serve, which is where he sees the market continuing to head as smaller formats of premium bite-size products seem to really resonate with consumers.

“Pies and cakes are now being cut in half and sold in slices to get to that idea of portion control, and there’s a lot of opportunity there for premiumization,” he said.

The uptick in consumer demand for single-serve indulgence aligns with several of the trends the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) identified in its What’s In Store guide.

“With the Whole Health, Whole Self and Whole Heart trend, we’re finding that applies to smaller sizes

and the idea of treating yourself,” said Whitney Atkins, VP of marketing at IDDBA. “Consum er-Defined Convenience is another one of our guiding trends — the consumer is deciding what’s important to them. It may be that extra pickup of a dessert while ordering takeout. So, really, that plus one.”

Atkins said that’s also where the portion sizes and single servings Siethoff mentioned come into play.

“If people are grabbing-and-going for dinner, they might want to also grab a single slice of chocolate indulgent cake or cheesecake,” Atkins added. “That also ties into our Worth the Value guideline because maybe that’s what someone can afford that week — half of a cake or a couple of single slices.”

Whatever reason a consumer has for buying a little treat — a milestone occasion or Wednesday afternoon pickme-up — commercial bakers have plenty of opportunities to deliver something that tastes great and looks great, too. CB

Photo courtesy of Hostess Brands

Hostess Brands’ recent innovation, Kazbars, reimagines traditional cake in an indulgent, single-serve bar form that satisfies current trends.

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Fresh vs. frozen

Pizza was a bright spot during the pandemic for many. Foodservice shutdowns created a shift in how and where consumers got their pizza. Several years later, the category shows moderate strength, boosted by positioning that centers around meal and snack occasions.

With $556.83 million in dollar sales, refrigerated pizza saw a 20.9% increase vs. a year ago. Unit sales for the subcategory saw a small increase of 2.5%, to 100.95 million.

Pizza prepared in the supermarket deli department has experienced particularly strong growth over the past few years, which may be attributed to an ongoing consumer perception that fresh is better. Deli prepared pizza saw a dollar sales increase of 14.5% vs. a year ago to $1.68 billion. Unit sales here were a bit higher, with a 7.8% change over last year to 401.20 million.

“Shelf-stable pizza kits are also holding steady in the category, which is significant because there aren’t many food categories that are not seeing unit declines,” said Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive VP and practice leader, client insights at Circana.

Lyons Wyatt added that kits and sauce slightly increased in sales, most likely because of consumer engagement, with younger people liking to make their own pizzas.”

Frozen Pizza Dollar Sales by Product Type

However, frozen pizza kits/toppings took a hit in dollar and unit sales. With just $5.13 million, the segment saw a dollar sales decrease of -26.7% vs. a year ago. Unit sales dropped -61.1% in that same time period.

Growth for the frozen pizza segment, which includes whole pizzas, was up slightly, with dollar sales at $6.88 billion, reflecting an 8.8% increase vs. a year ago. Unit sales for the segment were down, at 1.37 billion. This reflects a -3.5% decline vs. the same period a year ago.

Refrigerated pizza saw a 20.9% increase vs. a year ago in dollar sales.

The sluggish activity is likely a result of drivers such as supply chain issues, which have impacted availability and variety in retail. The top-selling frozen pizza brands in terms of current dollar sales for the period ending July 16 were DiGiorno, Red Baron, private label, Totino’s, Jack’s Frozen Pizza and Tombstone.

Although DiGiorno leads frozen pizza in dollar sales at $1.39 billion, that number actually reflects a -2.5% drop vs. a year ago for the brand, and a -12.9% dip in unit sales (182.53 million) over the same time period. Red Baron demonstrated a 24.1% increase in dollar sales vs. a year ago, at $1.27 billion, with an 8.4% increase in unit sales (253.75 million).

At $43.50 million, frozen pizza crusts/ dough saw a slight loss of dollar sales, with a -2.0% change vs. a year ago. Unit sales in this segment, which clocked in at 9.91 million, dropped -7.5% vs. a year ago.

Despite this slight decline , special dietary considerations have some relevance in the segment. Frozen pizza crusts/doughs made with allergy-friendly ingredients such as cauliflower or chickpeas provide consumers with a safer alternative for making pizza at home, and brands like Los Angeles-based Caulipower; Chico, CA-based Cali’flour Foods and New York City-based Banza are making their mark as some of the top brands in this segment.

As consumers battle inflation, price remains a primary consideration when comparing a frozen or fresh in-store pizza to the price of an out-of-home option from a foodservice provider. Lyons Wyatt noted a substantial difference between an occasional outsideof-home purchase and eating at home with compounding inflationary pressures leading more consumers to eat at home.

Frozen Pizza Unit Sales by Product Type

“Frozen is getting the dollars, but the unit piece of this is falling off. The dollars are coming in, but consumers are not able to buy as much as they used to from an inflationary standpoint.”

Sally Lyons Wyatt | executive VP and practice leader, client insights | Circana

Year-to-date through June 23, 2023, spending at retail was 60.5% and 38.4% at foodservice, according to Circana.

For consumers looking for more upscale versions of frozen pizza, there are high-end, coal-oven-baked, flash-frozen varieties.

“Frozen is getting the dollars, but the unit piece of this is falling off,” Lyons Wyatt said. “The dollars are coming in, but consumers are not able to buy as much as they used to from an inflationary standpoint.”

When it comes to pizza, crust matters, although consumers continue to gravitate toward the traditional style.

“Regular crust remains the winner along with rising crust, thin and classic varieties,” Lyons Wyatt said. “Deep-dish, handtossed, stone-fired and flatbread varieties are also doing well from a unit basis.”

In addition to the variety of crusts, consumers can also choose from a number of regional variations including New York-style; Chicago deep dish, thin crust or tavern-style; Neapolitan, St. Louis, and many more. Global flavors such as Mexican, Hawaii and Thai Peanut are also growing in popularity, particularly among younger generations who enjoy exploring new flavor combinations.

When it comes to sauce, red remains consistent among most manufacturers, with varying levels of spice and herb blends depending on the brand.

Lyons Wyatt noted that pepperoni, supreme with meat, and cheese blends are the overall top-selling pizzas, but there’s an opportunity to satisfy generational preferences.

Pizza Dollar Sales by Segment

“Pepperoni is favored by Gen X, millennials seek out pepperoni and ham, and Boomers prefer supreme,” she shared. “However, four-meat is enjoyed across the board. This doesn’t mean those same demographics aren’t enjoying other varieties, but some preferences remain.”

There has also been a rise in superfood toppings with plant-based, veggieforward pizzas as the vegan diet maintains momentum. For example, Kroger’s Simple Truth organic line offers a Goat Cheese & Beet Sauce pizza on an ultra-thin crust with butternut squash.

One emerging pizza trend is proteinpacked options. Lyons Wyatt stressed that when manufacturers can emphasize the grams of protein on the package they increase their chances of staying top-of-mind with younger consumers.

Across all demographics, pizza offers convenience in multiple dayparts with a range of flavor options. This, coupled with the ever-widening range of macroeconomic headwinds in motion, suggest pizza will continue to have a role to play with consumers. But it remains to be seen if the frozen pizza category will rebound to where it was were during the pandemic years.

“Manufacturers of pizza can drive growth in the category by putting initiatives in place that are going to drive household penetration and buy rate,” Lyons Wyatt said. “Consumers are making more quick trips to the store than ever before, so it’s important for manufacturers and retailers to determine how to get consumers to buy more, buy more frequently, and keep them coming back for more.” CB

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What’s cracking in crackers

Crackers are incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of ways, from dipping and spreading to stacking and snacking. Boomer and Gen X consumers are well-versed in using crackers in a variety of occasions, but younger generations often miss the bigger potential, viewing crackers solely as a carrier or an accompaniment to charcuterie boards.

Although the cracker category is among the largest of the snack sector, younger adults who are prolific snackers are less likely to purchase crackers for themselves as compared with older adults, according to Mintel. Charcuterie boards remain popular with younger generations, who often perceive them as the main event. Therefore, they do not yet connect eating crackers on their own with separate eating or social occasions, according to Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive VP and practice leader, client insights at Circana.

67% of consumers want to see crackers with added health benefits.

Source: Mintel

This demographic disconnect is demonstrated within the cracker category, where current dollar sales are up and unit sales are down. Current dollar sales in the category are $9.41 billion, a 13% increase vs. a year ago. In contrast, cracker unit sales saw a dip of -4.1% to 2.61 billion during the same period.

Consumers still embrace basic and dependable cracker varieties. The saltine saw the greatest dollar sales change vs. a year ago at $619.59 million, reflecting a 19.3% gain. Saltine is one of the only cracker sub-categories to register a positive unit sales change, with a 2.9% increase vs. a year ago.

This was followed by crackers with fillings, which had an 18.5% dollar sales increase vs. a year ago, with dollar sales of $1.37 billion. Graham crackers had the next largest increase, with a 12.6% change vs. a year ago at $601.43 million in current dollar sales.

Unit sales for crackers were down universally, with the exception of saltine crackers. All Other crackers decreased -5.3% in unit sales vs. a year ago to 1.73 billion, followed by crackers with fillings at -3.0% to 505.27 million and graham crackers at -1.5% to 153.63 million.

Crackers Dollar Sales by Product Type

ALL OTHER CRACKERS

Source: Circana

Total US Multi-Outlet w/ C-Store (Grocery, Drug, Mass Market, Convenience, Military and Select Club & Dollar Retailers) | Latest 52 Weeks Ending July 16, 2023 Source: Circana OmniMarket Integrated Fresh, a Chicago-Based Market Research Firm (@WeAreCircana)

All Other crackers showed a dollar sales rise of 11.4% vs. a year ago at $6.78 billion. Sales of breadsticks lagged, with only a 3.4% increase to $36.92 million in dollar sales. In terms of unit sales change, breadsticks saw the greatest decrease, with a -7.9% dip vs. a year ago and 10.82 million in unit sales.

Another element to consider is that the primary cracker eating occasions may no longer be the large gatherings many still have in mind when purchasing these types of products.

In 2021, the US Census found the percentage of adults living with a spouse had decreased from 52% to 50% over the past decade. With households shrinking in size, larger-sized packages may be less necessary in smaller households.

Estimates from the US Census Bureau’s annual America’s Families and Living Arrangements report showed an increase of adults over the age of 18 living alone. With this in mind, manufacturers might want to hedge their bets and offer a range of packaging options for all sizes of households and for entertaining purposes.

Saltine crackers saw the greatest dollar sales change vs. a year ago at 19.3%

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Crackers offer opportunities to improve consumption across multiple generations. Lyons Wyatt noted this starts by providing crackers with an indulgent sensorial experience. This might come in the form of stacking a crunchier texture that provides an elevated experience for spreading or a puffed version of an original flat product such as Cheez-It Puff’d, a Kellogg’s Co. product that made Circana’s 2022 Rising Star list.

Cheddar remains a top flavor choice. These cheesy options can be found in the form of extra cheddar, cheddar jack or sharp cheddar. Cinnamon is a popular sweet flavor, and crowd-pleasing savory options include tomato and basil and everything sesame seasoning. Flavors that are not gaining traction with younger consumers include parmesan, garlic and herb, and ranch flavors, prompting a decline in both dollar and unit sales for those product varieties, per Circana.

Lyons Wyatt also shared that among younger generations, the dominant flavor preference is the hotter, the better, demonstrating that some cracker flavors work better for certain demographics than others.

Changing generational preferences offer ways for manufacturers to spur growth by putting initiatives in place that will drive household penetration and buy rate.

Lyons Wyatt suggested that while 86% of millennials and 82% of older generations already understand the benefits of crackers, Gen Z is an untapped demographic, with 77% of these consumers purchasing for themselves. Plus, the ongoing popularity of charcuterie boards offers a viable opportunity for manufacturers to create new individual eating occasions that can also resonate with younger generations.

Top Five All Other Crackers by Dollar Sales ($ IN BILLIONS)

Health-and-wellness remains a good entry spot into the category. According to Mintel’s US Crackers Market Report 2023, 67% of consumers want to see crackers with added health benefits such as whole grains, digestive support and gluten-free. These better-for-you options include offerings of nutritious and nourishing crackers that are filling yet not too heavy, and often free from artificial colors, flavors and other ingredients. Crackers showcasing a protein emphasis can also attract younger generations who look for callouts like protein. Younger demographics are also willing to pay more for products with sustainable ingredients and smart packaging.

No matter the age of the consumer, taste remains the primary reason for purchase. The New Products Pace Setters 2022 report from Circana found 89% of survey respondents agree taste is the top reason for making a purchase, while price was cited by 80% as a purchase driver.

Beyond flavor and price, updated tactics will be necessary to attract new audiences. Food manufacturers across multiple categories are leveraging licensing

and/or co-branding strategies to create interest and nudge brands into new territories. Co-licensing, along with use of social and digital media, can also help attract a younger market. With crackers playing a starring role during the holidays, these elements are frequently high in use, according to Circana, with an often significant uptick in cracker sales during these times of greater social interaction.

“Licensing in general is an amazing way to drive household penetration in addition to the buying rate and frequency, but it can often be a hit-and-miss approach,” Lyons Wyatt said. “Manufacturers also need to provide ideas on what the different occasions can be. It’s this kind of messaging that will help remind consumers of the importance of crackers in those smaller, stock-up trips. Lastly, be sure to let people know where the product can be found and bring some excitement to the shelf.”

As the fourth quarter approaches, increased eating occasions provide ample opportunity for crackers’ unit sales to perhaps snag momentum to round out growth in the category. CB

Total US Multi-Outlet w/ C-Store (Grocery, Drug, Mass Market, Convenience, Military and Select Club & Dollar Retailers) | Latest 52 Weeks Ending July 16, 2023

Source: Circana OmniMarket Integrated Fresh, a Chicago-Based Market Research Firm (@WeAreCircana)

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Challenges by the slice

BY ANNIE HOLLON

In all its sizes and styles, pizza has found a home in the hearts of consumers. With new flavors breaking the boundaries of traditional Italian toppings, there’s more than meets the eye with these popular pies.

Yet, several pizza brands and manufacturers have gone toe-to-toe with the supply chain as of late.

St. Louis-based Lucia’s Pizza, which produces St. Louis-style pizza with various flavors and crust styles, has faced its fair share of challenges.

“Just about everything we purchase, from the main ingredients down to the glue that goes on the cardboard, has been either in short supply, unavailable or gone up in cost at some point,” said Scott Ashby, president of Lucia’s Pizza.

A maker of specialty products, Lucia’s has faced ingredient challenges with shelf-life issues, acquisition of toppings such as uncured pepperoni and specialty meats, and increasing costs.

What’s more, the uncertainty surrounding ingredient availability keeps Lucia’s in a state of flux. While the cost of packaging has dipped, labor costs have risen and there remains some difficulty in procuring certain ingredients.

“Every week it seems like something is an issue,” he said, “and the problem is, if you’re missing one ingredient, it’s pretty hard to make pizza.”

During its more than 40 years in business, Lucia’s has developed some long-term relationships with suppliers, which has helped during difficult times. The company also brought in a full-time procurement team member to help source ingredients and keep costs at a reasonable level. Yet the company has still had to make some tricky decisions and discontinue some items.

“We’ve had to discontinue a couple of things, unfortunately, because we just couldn’t rely on getting the ingredients,” Ashby explained. “And the issue with ingredients is that besides our own brands, we co-pack and we do private label.”

After discontinuing certain pies, Lucia’s was left with thousands of branded boxes that couldn’t be repurposed.

“There are hundreds of thousands of cartons out there with labeled information and you can’t just go get another product when the labels don’t match up,” Ashby said. “That makes it even more difficult.”

Photo courtesy of Lucia’s Pizza

Photo by CarmenTroesser

Waukesha, WI-based Baker’s Quality dealt with its own supply chain interruptions in the turbulent pandemic years, forcing the team to quickly reformulate some of its products.

“There was one particular ingredient that our supplier couldn’t get, and it was our dough conditioner that we had used for years and years,” said Chris Miller, co-owner and VP of operations for Baker’s Quality. “It was sleepless nights trying to figure out, ‘Okay, what can we use? Let’s bring them all in and try different recipes.’”

This pressure to learn how to work with new conditioners came with an added challenge: limited time as orders steadily rolled in week after week.

By developing good working relationships with suppliers, Miller was able to source ingredients and have secondary and tertiary ingredient partners at the ready when necessary.

On the operations side, pizza manufacturers must strike a balance between creating products that can be made on current equipment while maintaining a reasonable price point for consumers.

“It’s not just about making a great product,” Ashby emphasized. “The big challenge is always to create the best pizza in the world, but it’s got to be machinable because we’re automated to a certain extent, and it’s got to be produced at a price that people are buying.”

Machinability is important for quality, but that doesn’t mean people go out of the picture. They’re still an important part of an equation that must be balanced as perfectly as possible. For example, Lucia’s Pizza operates on all cylinders, leaning on equipment for consistency

but still using workers to monitor the machines and ensure production flow.

That said, in the face of rising labor costs, the Lucia’s team is exploring investing in additional automated technology, such as robotics for packaging.

“We run so fast that packing boxes is difficult to do, and it’s hard to find people who have that hand dexterity and quickness to do it,” Ashby said. “Having a robot do that would make it a lot easier.”

For Miller, automation has increased throughput and consistency of dough for Baker’s Quality crusts. However, finding the right equipment to mimic what was produced from manual manufacturing proved to be a major challenge.

“You struggle with trying to find the right equipment to keep that quality because you can purchase any piece of equipment, and it’ll run pies down the line, but it totally destroys what you’re looking for,” Miller said. “Primarily, we do thin crust, so we want that thin, light, crispy, short bite. A lot of the equipment that we

Photo courtesy of Baker’s Quality

Due to a wide range of customer requests, manufacturers need equipment that can keep up with demand.

“We run so fast that packing boxes is difficult to do, and it’s hard to find people that have that hand dexterity and quickness to do it. Having a robot do that would make it a lot easier.”

Scott Ashby | president | Lucia’s Pizza

tested, even some that we had bought, made it chewier. It was tougher and it really ruined it, so we had to come up with solutions for that.”

To overcome this difference in texture, Miller and his team invested in Easymac stress-free feeders for the Baker’s Quality lines.

“In the beginning, we put the dough through a three-roll extruder and that just destroyed the dough,” Miller said. “All the momentum we built up in the mixer was destroyed going down the line, so we invested in stress-free feeders. That was a big thing for us.”

For Baker’s Quality, when it comes to creating such an array of pizza products, low and high hydration levels in dough present their own challenges. With dough hydration ranging from 40% to 65%, Miller said that a lot of the equipment investments, such as the stressfree feeders, are designed with the dough characteristics in mind.

Miller noted that he has his eye on some automation that would further support the bakery’s operations but has yet to invest due to space constraints. Among the list of potential investments is an inline proofer and a spiral freezer.

“The inline proofer would allow me to do different kinds of pizza doughs than I can currently do,” he said. “We have some larger customers who want preproofing in their doughs after they’re cut and before they’re baked, and we just don’t have that ability. And then the spiral freezer would increase our throughput and give us more capacity.”

Baker’s Quality customers are interested in two key traits: high quality and a point of differentiation.

“We have a lot of different products and it would be easier to say, ‘I’m going to run one thing all day long,’” Miller said. “It’s more efficient and you’ll probably make more money on it, but that’s not fun and it gets old. Customers are always looking

to innovate their menus, so the equipment that we look for does have to fit our mould of being able to move quickly and adjust on the fly.”

Baker’s Quality relies on strong communication with customers and third-party distributors to ensure products arrive in the correct condition.

When it comes to R&D, innovation at the Wisconsin facility stems less from new recipes and more from new processes. One example Miller noted was adjusting the room temperature and fermentation time to tweak flavor, texture and more.

Though innovation is occurring in pizza crusts, new flavors for toppings are also shifting what’s available to consumers.

Ashby noted that nontraditional flavor profiles are standing out with retailers and further driving innovation, nodding to Lucia’s offerings such as chicken tikka masala, gyro and Caribbean flavors.

Photo courtesy of Lucia’s Pizza

Photo by CarmenTroesser

Scott Ashby, president of Lucia’s Pizza, keeps a pulse on the supply chain to ensure the brand’s unique flavor options are attainable.

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With more consumers becoming interested in different pizza varieties, brands outside the baking sector are making their entrance into the pizza category. One such brand is Tillamook, best known for its cheese offerings. The company recently entered the category with its Crispy Stone-Fired Pizzas.

According to Stephanie Carson, senior director of category growth for Tillamook County Creamery Association, entering the frozen pizza segment required a close partnership with a co-manufacturer.

“We were thoughtful in our approach and sought a partner that would be willing to work closely with us to ensure these products delivered the highquality experience people have come to expect from our brand,” Carson said.

“We worked closely with Golden West Food Group, along with Tillamook executive chef Josh Archibald and our R&D team members, to develop the product.”

The R&D process included a deep dive into consumer insights and taste tests of pizzas currently in the frozen aisle. From there, Tillamook and Golden West combined their knowledge and specialties to create a product that stood out in the freezer aisle but remains familiar to consumers.

Brands such as New York City-based Yough! are looking to the better-for-you trend to create pizzas that fit certain health criteria. Its debut products, a Greek yogurt-based pizza and frozen dough, made a healthier alternative to the traditional pizza more accessible.

Though simple in concept, executing a clean-label alternative pizza was challenging, especially post-pandemic as the emerging brand struggled to find a co-manufacturer with capacity. Some hesitated to pump Greek yogurt through their equipment and some tried but were unable to work with it. Eventually Jason Miler, co-founder and COO of Yough!, found a family-owned business in the Midwest willing and able to make the product.

Given Yough!’s emphasis on being as clean label as possible, the brand had to be resourceful to find Greek yogurt and organic flour without additives. It also had to work closely with its suppliers and co-manufacturers to lock in the quality.

Ashby noted an improvement in equipment quality and capability over the past 10 years. Among the bakery’s recent upgrades is its AM Manufacturing dough press, which replaced a separate press and oven with one piece of equipment.

“It’s all controlled computer-wise, so if we make a change from 10-inch to 12-inch pizza, we push a few buttons, and it changes the belt speed and oven temperatures so that you’re not guessing or relying on somebody to look at a piece of paper,” Ashby said, noting additional innovation in topping applicators.

Some other equipment upgrades include a new cheese shredder, mixers and applicators.

Bakers in this category are learning how to maintain a balance between efficiency and artisanship. With new flavors, crust innovation and more, pizza manufacturers can be prepared for just about anything. CB

Photo courtesy of Baker’s Quality

By altering fermentation time and temperature, Baker’s Quality is expanding what’s available to its customers.

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Crisp concepts

BY ANNIE HOLLON

Once just a carrier for toppings scattered across a charcuterie board, cracker varieties are expanding to meet modern consumers’ evolving snacking needs. From the health-conscious to the indulgence-seeking, consumers’ array of demands are keeping cracker manufacturers on their toes.

Some companies are focusing their operations on creating crackers that cater to a more diverse — if not increasingly younger — consumer base.

With rising consumer interest in health claims such as gluten-free, manufacturers such as Winslow, ME-based Maine Crisp are on the rise.

The artisanal snack company is known for its gluten-free and plant-based cracker portfolio based on buckwheat, an ancient grain-like seed that can be tricky to work with because of the manufacturing process required to remove the naturally bitter taste and accommodate for its thicker texture.

To work with this ingredient, Maine Crisp needed to upgrade its facility with more versatile equipment. Lewis Goldstein, CEO of Maine Crisp, shared that the company’s new Reiser extruder served as the answer to the company’s future growth.

“The ability for the Reiser machine to work with buckwheat and slice it thin enough has made that whole process

much easier,” Goldstein said. “That extruder can then be used to make cookies and other items, so it lowers the cost of entry into other categories. The flexibility of the Reiser machine is invaluable to us being able to grow, innovate and launch or create new products.”

With that foundation, the Maine Crisp team is ready for its next evolution with its new snack crackers, Better With Buckwheat, set to roll out in November. After a recent facility expansion that grew its operations nearly ten-fold, the company is broadening its reach beyond the Northeast with national distribution in retailers such as Sprouts and Kroger.

Photo courtesy of Maine Crisp

For Maine Crisp, making products with buckwheat requires innovation when it comes to equipment needs.

INSIGHT: CRACKERS

CATEGORY INSIGHT: CRACKERS

Goldstein noted the company is also investing in a Revent oven, a VEMAG weighing and packaging machine, and a flowwrapper to speed up packaging time. He anticipates the automation additions will be completed by December.

“This plant allowed us to exponentially increase production from what it used to be able to produce,” Goldstein said, noting that the new equipment supports this. “But now we’re on to the next stage.”

Thanks to a $500,000 dollar grant from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry established to promote growth in Maine agriculture and food processing, the company has been able to hire more people and purchase equipment to produce crackers at a higher speed.

“The grants help us build the business, and that allows us to add more people,” Goldstein said. “Up to now, the majority of the people we’ve been adding were in the production area. We hope to be able to add people in management and marketing roles in the next twelve to eighteen months.”

David Payne, owner and general manager of Fitchburg, WI-based Potter’s Crackers, is also investing in his cracker facility with a new makeup line from Fritsch, a Multivac company. The equipment will help smooth the flow of operation in the bakery, provide further innovation and ease some labor issues.

“The idea was to get it cut to make it look how we want without having to do it by hand,” Payne explained. “We were hand docking and spraying things with water bottles and putting salt on. We just wanted all that to be smooth, and it increased our throughput over sixty percent. What used to take us three hours is now taking fifteen minutes to an hour.”

The jump in throughput also inspired an investment in oven capacity through several double-rack ovens.

While there are plans to invest in packaging equipment over the next couple of years, the bakery is currently handling everything manually.

Downers Grove, IL-based Hearthside Food Solutions, the largest co- ma nufacturer of crackers in the US, is also in search of packaging solutions for its operations.

“We always seek to improve our insights for investment into new packaging formats and material innovation,” said Bobbi Jo Raffetto, COO of Hearthside Food Solutions. “Good decisions advance product innovation and increase new product speed-to-market. We are always seeking to add agility and scale by modifying existing equipment to deliver on the latest consumer trends. This can be at the ingredient, production or packaging stage.”

When cracker production scales up, there are several new considerations, especially as distribution expands.

© Irina Polonina on Adobe Stock

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Our solid and perforated steel belts have helped bakeries produce premium quality products for almost 100 years. Flat, straight, durable and easy to clean, they provide a baking surface that’s ideal for everything from rich, chewy all butter cookies to traditional biscuits and crackers.

The other reason for choosing IPCO is our global service capability, providing the reassurance of premium productivity too.

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Some examples of packaging modifications include reductions in portion and package size.

In addition to the interest in new packaging options, Hearthside is in pursuit of equipment to further support its largescale operations.

“We are heavily investing in new automation across our baking network,” Raffetto said. “Many of these are significant technology upgrades to increase flexibility and efficiency while reducing labor requirements and ensuring quality and safety. Modern manufacturing runs on data, so we invest in real-time systems for gathering and processing information.”

By tapping into real-time data, the co-manufacturer can improve first-pass quality, which can drive efficiency.

Supply chain disruptions — specifically their impact on shipping and logistics — are a challenge the Maine Crisp team is still trying to resolve.

“One of the biggest hurdles we have is how to ship effectively from mid-Maine to the rest of the country,” Goldstein said. “We’re close to our suppliers, but not to national retail distribution hubs, so how do we get effective freight rates to get our product to the middle of the country and on to the West Coast?”

Hearthside has also faced its fair share of operational challenges impacted by reach through major customers, which have specific standards. While these are not unique to contract manufacturers, there are certain implications that come with a multi-location, multi-customer environment .

“Challenges in the current climate include the nationwide labor shortage

and continued supply chain constraints,” Raffetto said. “We continue to make significant innovation and automation investments, though many are slowed by long equipment lead times. Inflation touches every area of a manufacturer, including labor, raw materials, energy and equipment.”

As Maine Crisp matures, it’s experiencing some growing pains when it comes to innovation and scale. While Karen Getz, founder of Maine Crisp, ideates in the test kitchen, Goldstein identified the difficulty in taking that recipe to a larger scale for retail customers.

“One of the big things in a growing company is learning how to innovate in terms of making sure you cover all the bases while controlling costs,” he said.

COVID-19 impacted bakery operations in a lot of ways, yet Potter’s benefited from being a certified organic operation and its practice of using as many local ingredients as possible. Payne’s biggest pressure point during the pandemic came from a supply chain issue with salt and, on occasion, flour. Having a solid relationship with farms and mills is important to not only the product but also the brand’s values.

“It’s a brand pillar of ours to be certified organic and local, even if we are selling our crackers nationally,” he explained. “It’s important for me, growing up in a farming family as well, that we have good relationships with the farms and the mills and the people that are making the inputs. There’s a face to them, there’s a family behind them, so it’s just as important to us as it’s ever been.”

An added benefit of using local suppliers is that Payne and his team do not

“Good decisions advance product innovation and increase new product speedto-market. We are always seeking to add agility and scale by modifying existing equipment to deliver on the latest consumer trends.”

Bobbi Jo Raffetto | COO | Hearthside Food Solutions

CATEGORY INSIGHT: CRACKERS

have to be concerned with global crises that impact imported ingredients. It also helps them innovate with abstract flavors such as carrot cake graham crackers. While this may change as Potter’s scales in the future, for now, the brand is keeping things close to home.

“When we get bigger, I’m sure we’re going to have to find alternative sources for things, but in the meantime, we’re going to hang onto our local approach to things for as long as we possibly can,” Payne said.

With a smaller budget than bigger CPG snack companies, Maine Crisp has had to bootstrap parts of R&D testing. Goldstein, who has experience in the CPG space, noted that although he does not have the sampling budget he did previously, there’s a benefit to getting direct feedback. This especially helps when the company is filling a niche in the category left open by competitors.

“Within the cracker and other snack sectors, the majority are baked with almond, rice, corn and wheat flours,” Goldstein said. “Many of those categories are declining, so we see the opportunity for something new, something different and something that checks more boxes — being regenerative, low glycemic, complete protein.”

The team at Hearthside has myriad commercialization and R&D resources and takes a hybrid approach to innovation.

“Our teams engage directly with customers’ innovation teams, often in early-stage development, enabling us to innovate in ways not possible later in the development,” Raffetto said. “Our teams of food scientists are colocated at our largest bakery within a pilot center where they can work on bench samples, running on smallscale equipment during the innovation process. This lab and pilot equipment help ensure vertical startups as we move to full-scale production.”

Yet, Raffetto noted, creating new products that meet specific needs must comply with specific processes.

“Many of these emerging products and categories require unique quality, testing, labeling requirements and specially configured production lines for optimum allergen control,” she said. “They also often require innovative formulation, production and packaging processes. Hearthside’s strategic investments have enabled us to meet our customers’ rapidly evolving needs.”

As the company continues its extensive R&D initiatives, Raffetto noted that improving Hearthside’s ability to balance the formulation of crackers with fewer allergens but better taste and nutritional benefits is on the company’s innovation wish list. The co-manufacturer is also keen on finding new ways to improve the shelf life of products formulated with ingredients that are clean label, better-for-you and organic.

No matter the scale of the operation, cracker manufacturing is looking to a cleaner label, health claim-forward future. With piqued interest in packaging innovation and equipment to ease labor troubles, there remains opportunity for the category to innovate. CB

© alipko on Adobe Stock

To troubleshoot supply chain challenges, some manufacturers source locally and have secondary suppliers.

Precision ingredient handling

Maintain the integrity of your ingredients.

The bread industry has always faced an array of challenges. These can range from ensuring the color and flavor of products to minimizing dust in facilities among other safety concerns. Steep competition in the world of bread can threaten to sway consumers’ attention, but the right material handling solutions can ensure the quality and consistency of a variety of bread products. Dose

Create

Consider

WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA?

Engage in discussions with regulatory officials and key lawmakers on Capitol Hill

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

We encourage everyone to attend! Policy impacts everyone in the baking industry supply chain, so all are welcome – commercial and retail bakers as well as our suppliers. All interested should also register for the Food Safety and Nutrition and DEI conferences.

Digital Defense

Cyber liability insurance can offer a layer of protection against cyberattacks and data breaches.

BY TOM PANOS, BKS PARTNERS | BALDWIN RISK

Protecting against cyber risk is a critical concern for businesses of all sizes. Cyber liability insurance is an essential component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy and provides protection against losses or damages resulting from cyberattacks or data breaches by covering costs related to investigating and responding to a cyberattack.

Cyber liability insurance covers a range of risks and exposures. Common coverages include data breach response, cybersecurity liability, cyber extortion, network security liability and business interruption. Coverage can include the costs associated with investigating a breach; notifying affected parties; providing credit monitoring and identity theft protection; legal defense costs; damages arising from claims made by third parties for a data breach or cyberattack; ransom payments; and crisis management.

The typical limits of a cyber liability insurance policy vary depending on the size of the company, the industry and the level of risk. However, the typical limit for a small- to medium-sized business (SMB) could be between $1 million and $5 million, while larger corporations typically purchase policies with limits of at least $10 million.

Given the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape, it’s important to understand the state of the market and the coverage available. Cyber risk and mitigation evolve rapidly, much like the technology sector itself. While the cyber security landscape remains dynamic and volatile, the cyber risk insurance market showed signs of stabilization in the first half of 2023.

The good news for insureds is that taking proactive steps to establish and maintain robust, up-to-date security controls will position an organization for a positive outcome when renewing or seeking new coverage. Insureds are generally seeing smaller renewal rate increases compared to recent years when some saw increases of more than 120%.

Several factors are contributing to this trend, including the growing prevalence of security controls. In recent years, companies and organizations have increasingly recognized the critical importance of cybersecurity and have invested in security controls.

Another key driver is the leveling off of ransomware attacks. Ransomware remains a significant threat, but 2022 arguably saw attacks leveling off, or at least the frequency of attacks moderating. This development may have encouraged some insurers to expand their capacity for cyber coverage.

That said, attacks are once more on the rise. March 2023 saw a record number of ransomware attacks, with North America being the most targeted region and SMBs also increasingly targeted.

Finally, the moderate improvement in the ransomware landscape combined with increased pricing has resulted in better loss ratios for carriers. Healthier balance sheets for cyber products allow insurers to expand capacity and moderate renewal rate increases.

Key cyber risks include cybercrime, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) fines, business interruption, reputational risk and emerging risks such as artificial intelligence (AI).

Cybercrime encompasses ransomware, social engineering fraud, payment fraud, data breaches and other types of attacks. Estimates of the financial impact vary, but the cost is substantial by any measure.

Any organization that accepts, processes, stores or transmits credit card information must comply with PCI DSS. Failure to do so may result in monthly fines — imposed by card brands or acquirers — ranging from $5,000 to $100,000. Additionally, noncompliance with PCI DSS may lead to consequences such as liability for fraudulent charges and credit card replacement costs.

Downtime from a cyber event can lead to substantial losses. While business interruption is primarily associated with direct cyberattacks, it can also be a result of operational failures or an incident affecting a contingent business such as a supplier, vendor or partner.

Reputational risk also accompanies cyber risk. Companies with high-profile cyber events can incur costs to remediate reputational damage.

AI and machine learning can contribute to strengthening cyber defenses, but these technologies are also leveraged by bad actors for malicious purposes. In addition, businesses using AI to generate content or surveil customers could face liability claims related to its use.

While price increases in cyber insurance have stabilized, a number of issues that can potentially impact coverage and remediation from cyberattacks have emerged.

War exclusions. Cyber insurers have previously covered cyber incidents linked to nation states, despite war exclusions that are included in many types of insurance. Depending on policy wording, coverage could be denied if nation-state cyberattacks cause systemic losses.

Panel vendor challenges. Under the terms of a policy, an insurer may mandate the use of its panel of cyber security vendors, even if an insured has its own cyber security team and vendors. Policy terms and close communications between insureds, brokers and insurers can help prevent these types of conflicts.

Application misrepresentation. Last year, a major insurance company filed suit against an insured, alleging the company had misrepresented its security controls in its application. This type of dispute could lead to denied claims and makes it critical that insureds work closely with their insurance advisors to provide comprehensive representations of their security controls.

Cyber liability insurance is an essential component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. Businesses must take proactive steps to establish and maintain robust, up-to-date security controls, positioning themselves for a positive outcome when seeking coverage. Additionally, businesses must understand the state of the market and any coverage limitations to ensure they have sufficient protection against cyber risk CB

Tom Panos, MBA, is a partner at BKS Partners | Baldwin Risk. He has more than 15 years of experience in the commercial insurance industry and uses his diverse background to build mutually beneficial relationships. Contact him at tom.panos@bks-partners.com

Common coverages included in cyber insurance policies are data breach response, cybersecurity liability, cyber extortion, network security liability and business interruption.

First in Multimedia

Commercial Baking

Avant Food Media is the first to deliver innovative multimedia content. These originals take media to the next level and have become baking industry favorites.

This is the premier media source for the commercial baking industry.

TechTalks

Booth Trailers

Innovation Minutes

Commercial Baking Channel

Our multimedia collection is full of videos, podcast episodes and more, where you can get a deep look — and listen — into the exciting shifts happening in the baking industry.

TechTalk with Steve Allen, Zeppelin Systems USA

Steve Allen, director of systems and automation for Zeppelin Systems USA, provides insight on the company’s updated Prisma 2020 technology and the value it can provide to bakers looking to efficiently measure and analyze data in their operations. www.zeppelin-systems.com

TechTalk with Clent Hollin, Baker Thermal

Clent Hollin, category sales account manager at Baker Thermal Solutions, dives into the capabilities and benefits of the company’s RapidBake oven solutions. www.bakerthermal.com

TechTalk with Josh Becker, Harpak-Ulma

Josh Becker, bakery and confection product manager at Harpak-Ulma, dives into how smart manufacturing technology is driving innovation in the industry. www.harpak-ulma.com

TechTalk with Kody Moehr, BluePrint Automation

Kody Moehr, south regional sales manager at BluePrint Automation, shares the benefits of gantry-style case packing solutions in bakery production. www.blueprintautomation.com

Season 8 of Troubleshooting Innovation

Marc and Elana Schulman, the father-daughter duo behind Chicago-based Eli’s Cheesecake, talk about the best practices for workforce development, the bakery’s vision for the future and more. Sponsored by Oakes.

Pack Expo Innovation Minute: Nick Sestito,

BluePrint Automation

Nick Sestito, senior controls engineer of BluePrint Automation, highlights the company’s case packing solutions. www.blueprintautomation.com

Pack Expo Innovation Minute: Edmund Konsen,

Schubert North America

Edmund Konsen, regional sales manager at Schubert North America, debuts the company’s new modular feeder technology. www.schubert.group

Pack Expo Innovation Minute: Josh Becker, Harpak-Ulma

Josh Becker, bakery and confection product manager of Harpak-Ulma, explains the company’s latest advancements in augmented reality technology for maintenance solutions. www.harpak-ulma.com

Pack Expo Innovation Minute: Jason D’Arcy, Syntegon Processing and Packaging

Jason D’Arcy, product group sales manager at Syntegon Processing and Packaging, showcases the company’s latest vertical form/fill/seal bagging technology. www.syntegon.com

Catching Up with Commercial Baking : Carl Melville at Pack Expo

Carl Melville, president of The Melville Group, discusses some of the highlights from his presentation on co-manufacturing.

Catching Up with Commercial Baking : Jeb Sloan at Pack Expo

Jeb Sloan, director of R&D process development at Clif Bar & Co., a Mondelez International brand, expresses his enthusiasm for making connections and finding inspiration for innovation at Pack Expo in Las Vegas.

A Day at Alpha Baking Co.

Go behind the scenes at Chicago-based Alpha Baking Co., a bakery known for its bread, bun and roll production legacy.

A Day at Milwaukee Pretzel

Step into Milwaukee Pretzel Co.’s facility and get a sneak peek at how the company automated its Bavarian pretzel production to keep up with demand.

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Solutions

Multi-purpose robot scorer

ABI Ltd. debuted its next-generation KATANA robot scoring solution with a waterjet scoring tool. Expanding on features including an ultrasonic plunge and drag blade options, the new version can score a wide range of soft products and crusty breads. www.abiltd.com

Band slicer for pan-baked bread

AMF Bakery Systems’ Saber 75s Band Slicer features an automatic blade spacing system for pan-baked bread, in cluding fruit, raisin, nuts and gluten-free breads. It can slice 75 loaves per minute. An optional automatic blade tensioning system preserves constant tension on blades, reducing breakage and extending blade life. www.amfbakery.com

Cobots for labor savings

Apex Motion introduced the Flexi-Bot and Flexi-Bot MAX, collaborative robots (cobots) that work well alongside human employees. Designed to help with ongoing labor shortages and consistency issues, the cobots can handle repetitive tasks involved with industrial manufacturing. Typical applications include palletizing, tray handling, depanning, primary and secondary packaging, and sprayings. www.apexmotion.com

Egg substitute

Ardent Mills’ Egg Replace allows bakers to reduce egg use by up to 100% in multiple bakery applications. The product is a smart substitute that is vegan and made without gluten, soy, artificial ingredients or additives. www.ardentmills.com

2D and 3D systems

Cavanna’s control system with 3D technology detects geometric defects in product width, length and height. The 2D inspection system for counting products in the portion can detect geometric defects in products and on the coating or baking of products. The control system has deep or edge learning technology, and the inspection systems can detect defects in the packaging, decoration, coating and baking of products. www.cavanna.com

Natural mold inhibition model

Corbion created the Natural Mold Inhibition Model to help bakers save money and time by identifying the most effective natural ingredient solution for inhibiting mold growth in their products. The model can predict a pan bread formulation’s resistance to 11 different molds, considering the specific parameters of the product and process. www.corbion.com

Frame mixer with all-electric movement

Diosna’s WH 240-600 A/E has an all-electric movement in a stainless-steel design with an open, hygienic frame structure. The mixer is suitable for wet cleaning in the low-pressure range with a batch capacity of 530-1,300 lbs. of dough. Bowl options include movable or bottom discharge. www.diosna.com

The Baker-Bot

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Does the dull, dangerous & dirty job

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Versatility is Key to your Automation Plan. One piece of equipment that can be used for many applications, but also helps with labor shortages, repetitive stress injuries and production demands, it’s no brainer!

Multimedia monitoring solution

Emerson developed a multimedia monitoring solution that leverages machine learning to detect media leaks and machinery inefficiencies proactively and automatically. The solution can reduce energy use and optimize cleaning processes with efficient use of water, electricity and gas. www.emerson.com/en-us

Tray sealing technology

Harpak-Ulma’s Mondini Trave Sinfonia tray sealing technology can improve productivity and reduce packaging costs by increasing packaging throughput in a smaller, more flexible footprint with reduced labor requirements. The new sealer is integrated with the electronically controlled magnetic track system. www.harpak-ulma.com

www.unifiller.com

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We design and manufacture processing and portioning equipment to bakeries and food plants worldwide.

More SAVINGS. Less DOWNTIME.

Tunnel oven for continuous baking

Heuft’s continuous baking tunnel oven can bake more than 25,000 dough pieces per hour. The oven’s thermal oil heat transfer system provides a gentle and consistent bake, and separately controlled temperature zones enable optimal baking curves. www.heuft-industry.com

Flexible geometry flowwrapper

Ilapak’s Delta OF-360 X runs any packaging films with changeovers with the press of a button. To overcome the variability of sealing, Ilapak built three different longitudinal sealing technologies and incorporated a folding box system for the unwinding of varied materials. The flowwrapper runs at 170 ppm. www.ilapak.com

Scoring

Sustainable bag closure

Kwik Lok introduced Enviro-Lok, a polypropylene bag closure that keeps products safe and fresh while delivering a better potential for recycling. It has 34% less plastic than the standard Kwik Lok closure, 67% less water and 44% less carbon emissions. Ultrasonic welded labels are offered for branding, tracking and traceability. www.kwiklok.com

Hygienic oven

Mecatherm prioritizes hygiene and food safety with its M-DAN Oven, which can bake delicate products. The oven’s accessible design removes the need to disassemble it for a full wash. Offering compact heating zones, the oven can make precise adjustments and reduce energy losses through low-temperature convection baking with optimized baking times. www.mecatherm.fr

IMMEDIATE SAVINGS IN MOISTURE CONTROL

NIR Moisture Control Directly on the Production Line

CONSTANT MONITORING

Constant, non-contact solution to moisture measurement directly on the production line

ADJUSTMENTS MADE EASY

Crucial, immediate adjustments on the line avoid waste and downtime are easy with MoistTech's IR3000

CLOSED LOOP

Produce instant, accurate data that can be easily communicated to a PLC and create a closed loop process

IMMEDIATE IMPROVEMENTS

Product quality, lower waste & energy costs, process optimization, plant efficiency, and dryer control

Snack and cereal inclusions

MGP Ingredients’ Ingenient Inclusions crisps are made with plant-based ingredients and provide texture and crunch in nutritional bars, snacks and cereal applications. The Ingenient product line includes crisps made from hemp, peas, alternative botanicals and ancient grains such as chickpea, millet, buckwheat and sorghum. www.mgpingredients.com

Space-saving depositing solution

Rademaker’s depositing technology provides bakeries with a high-performing, efficient and space-saving filling so lution. The depositing unit enables bakeries to produce a wide range of filled products and can handle various smooth fillings. Designed to meet high industry standards, it ensures accuracy and repeatability, even at high speeds. www.rademaker.com

Sustainable gas oven

Reading Bakery Systems’ Emithermic XE Oven zone uses electric radiant elements that eliminate the need for gas burners. It delivers a balanced heat to the product and develops flavor and texture. For greater flexibility and control, the oven includes a humidity-controlled product zone. www.readingbakery.com

Integrated ingredient delivery and dough production

Shick Esteve invented a solution through collaborative efforts with mixing company partners that includes ingredient delivery and dough production. Customers now have an option for a repeatable operation that’s integrated with horizontal mixing technology. www.shickesteve.com

Hygienic spiral conveyor

SideDrive Conveyor’s hygienic spiral conveyors gently handle products without damaging them. The easy-to-clean conveyors reduce food safety risks and recall concerns, minimize operator effort and time, and reduce associated water, chemicals and waste. www.sidedriveconveyor.com

High speed vertical form/fill/seal bagger

Syntegon unveiled its SVX Agile and SVX Duplex for the VFFS industry. The Agile manufactures 300 bags per minute with one film lane and can handle the full bag range of any VFFS need. Its cross-seal control customizes sealing pressure. The Duplex can produce 600 bags per minute with two film lanes while maintaining a compact footprint for seamless production integration. www.syntegon.com

The following advertisers appear in this issue. We encourage readers to reach out to these companies through the listed website or email for further information. This index is provided as a service to readers and advertisers, but Commercial Baking does not assume any liability for errors or omissions. Please send any updates or corrections to info@commercialbaking.com

It’s time to perform rather than just

Creating a Culture of Food Safety

A culture centered on food safety can set companies apart. At Crown Bakeries, we have a zero-tolerance foreign material expectation and a focus on food safety and quality that spans our company.

Fostering a positive company culture often starts with the will to do the right thing. Treat your employees right, create the right product and offer the right benefits to customers. When it comes to food safety, there is no question that committing to providing safe, highquality products for customers and consumers is the right thing to do. However, following through with that commitment requires more than just strict oversight from the Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) teams. It relies on buy-in and collaboration from the entire organization.

Buy-in across all departments is key to creating a culture that consistently upholds food safety standards. Finance must embrace FSQA as a profit center rather than a cost center. For sales teams, the ability to tout exceptional FSQA records and “above and beyond” safety protocols can be the tipping point needed to close deals. Operations teams also benefit when sound FSQA risk mitigation eliminates waste and keeps production lines running smoothly.

Doing the right thing also requires an ongoing effort. Maintaining a culture of food safety is just as important as building it. Training and teamwork are the core of execution. As in team sports, success relies on team-wide alignment on the strategy and the understanding that everyone must play by the same rules and expectations.

Similarly, companies that cultivate each department’s contribution to food safety will improve and perform better. Food safety culture may start with good manufacturing practices, sanitation, supply chain and preventative controls, but it must reach far beyond traditional FSQA disciplines in order to rise above industry standards.

Achieving excellence in food safety and customer service requires sustained effort. At Crown Bakeries, we are proud to put in that work every day — a practice we refer to as giving our customers “the royal treatment.” Because for us, it’s more than just the right thing to do. CB

Todd Bruinsma is VP of food safety and quality assurance for Crown Bakeries. He has more than 25 years of experience in food safety management with expertise in leading quality assurance teams within the commercial baking industry.

Re:

Reclaim Authentic Ingredient Labels

Corbion offers the widest portfolio of authentic mold inhibitors that put nature to work. Crafted with proven fermentation and microbiology expertise, our trusted solutions are third-party verified, ensuring bakers create products that stay delicious, fresh and mold-free, giving consumers the clean label they demand.