Flexicon has launched a new 223-page French language website, detailing the company's bulk handling equipment and systems utilized across industries that fill, discharge, weigh batch or convey bulk solid materials.

Bosch Packaging Technology has developed a new version of its fully automated horizontal flow wrapper Pack 403, which is specifically designed for harsh environment use.

Hydrosol published The Stabiliser People, a book the company released to mark its 25th anniversary. The company talks about conceivable solutions and why the food ingredients industry plays a key role.   

The BPS Bag Dump Station allows customers to dump bags manually. In addition to the optional features listed below, BPS can customize the size based on the required capacity.

SnackSafely.com, publisher of the Safe Snack Guide, the resource that has been keeping allergens out of shared spaces and the home since 2011 — announces a new feature that allows food industry professionals, managers, and event planners to tailor custom snack guides to match the allergen restrictions of their participants and attendees.

KLR Systems Inc. announced a new, sustainable addition to their product line.

A new Model TWIN XOB-PS-SS PNEUMATI-SIFTER™ Ultra High Capacity dual centrifugal sifter from Kason de-agglomerates and screens bulk materials in-line with dilute-phase pneumatic conveying systems at ultra-high rates.

Reading Thermal has developed a new digital humidity sensor that uses proprietary Anti-Saturation TechnologyTM to increase accuracy in measuring humidity in ovens, proofers, dryers and cooling tunnels.

Coloured food has been on trend since the unicorn cake: Red, black and green bread rolls and hamburger buns, not to mention multicoloured poke bowls are seen in restaurants and bakeries.

Under the motto “100 years of combined passion and know-how,” GEA will be exhibiting advanced bakery technology from its leading brands, GEA Comas and GEA Imaforni, at the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) in Las Vegas from September 8-11, 2019.

On July 16, 2019,Callebaut launched their long-awaited Ruby confection in Canada. Sold as a couverture due to its cacao content, the pink hue and slightly tart, fruity taste was showcased in a wide variety of pastry, chocolates and bonbons at the event.

Ashworth Bros., Inc., the makers of low-tension spiral belts introduces the SmartSpiral® Monitoring System.

Master Baker, Marcus Mariathas, is the senior director of product development at Ace Bakery. He’s noticed that the trends that have gained the most ground over the years and is becoming more widespread is the request for natural, clean-label and organic breads. “These are things that people are starting to appreciate more widely…that’s already our foundation. That’s been our concept for about 25 years, now.”

Lorenzo Di Donato, vice-president, marketing strategist and business developer for Faema Canada, described the kickoff to June’s Italian Heritage Month at the company's showroom in Toronto as a “perfect marriage” of likeminded lovers of Italian food, culture and culinary expertise. Aurora Importing and Distributing was one of the main sponsors; they fell in love with the glass and stone architecture of Faema’s showroom and school and the concept was born.  |READ MORE |

Menasha Corporation’s 2019 summer interns experienced firsthand one of the corporation’s core values to make a positive difference in the community.

The winner of the 2019 Jake The Baker contest was Dooher’s bakery, of Campbellford, Ontario. Bakers Journal spoke with Alannah Haig, marketing and advertising coordinator for the bakery, who started working eleven years ago at Dooher’s, when she was just fourteen.

There’s much to consider when it comes to food labelling regulation, and how to define what constitutes a healthy diet. BAC CEO and president, Paul Hetherington coined 2019 as the year of “regulatory confusion” during the panel discussion at the Bakery Showcase in May.

The Sweet Bakery in Brantford, Ontario is a small shop with a big heart. To hear Stacey Bester speak of how lucky she is, and how she “married the man of her dreams,” you wouldn’t know that her bakery was born from a dark, sad time in her life.

Giving is an art form. So is baking. It’s no surprise to anyone that bakers are as gifted at creating beautiful pastry or bread as they are at connecting to the communities they serve. Given that bakery arts are a part of the hospitality industry, most bakers are generous souls: Many have gone into the food industry because they love to put a smile on someone’s face.

Daniel Mongraw, pastry chef and winner of Canada’s Best Pastry Chef Award in 2018, presented by Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants, has built a reputation for being fearless in his plated dessert creations. The same could be said for his unconventional career path.

Bakers, caterers and restaurateurs are using Instagram to promote their services and show off their skills. The social media app started as a story-sharing medium in 2010, to display captioned photos from its users around the world. Today, everyone from teens to marketing executives harnesses its popularity to get their name or brand recognized globally.

In 1945, a Brazillian brigadier named Eduardo Gomes was the unlikely inspiration for a chocolate trend. Gomes’s Presidential campaign had a grass-roots following: Local women held parties to raise funds for his election, selling homemade chocolates that were somewhere between a chocolate truffle and fudge.

When Kyle Wilson went travelling in Africa, he and his wife, Katie were drawn to the cocoa fields. They both had a background in the coffee industries as baristas, but wanted to travel the world, and bring something special back with them to Canada. What they found was an opportunity for FairTrade cocoa, and ethically sourced, bean-to-bar chocolate in Toronto.

"When you start experimenting in dough, it’s never-ending!” says Chef Giuseppe Cortinovis excitedly. Cortinovis has more traditional credentials under his belt, among them a professional course in traditional pizza at ITHQ in Montreal and a Roman pan pizza course with respected chef Massimo Bosco in Sardinia.

Chicago’s famous spelt flour croissants

A home cook’s version of Miku Toronto’s famous Green Tea Opera Cake

Cozy up this fall with a warm pie and Cameron’s Auburn Ale. Thanks, OCB and Cameron’s Pale Ale!

Chef Allen Susser recommends using mangoes at their ripest. This recipe was launched at the South Beach Mango Festival.

Vegan baking is on the rise. If you are on the hunt for a yummy vegan cupcake recipe to offer your customers, try this sweet potato recipe from Kelly Childs and Erinn Weatherbie of Kelly’s Bake Shoppe in Burlington, Ont.

Toronto – Muskoka Brewery and Ace Bakery of Toronto teamed up to create bread recipes using three seasonal beers, Winterweiss, Shinnicked Stout and Harvest Ale, and offer classes on how to make them. The London Free Press reports. | READ MORE

Pizza New: A whole new era for the world’s favourite food, by chef Stefano Manfredi, looks at what happens when pizza is made using different stone-milled flours, various fermentation procedures and free of the strictures of tradition. It includes recipes for pizza rossa, pizza bianca, Roman pizza, and filled, fried and sweet pizzas such as the delicate dessert recipe below, “Pillow of dreams.”

These brownies were inspired from her chocolate bar that is infused with cherry fig black tea, as well as the chai brownie recipe in Raelene Gannon’s book tea from cup to plate, which was published in 2015.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Rhubarb Pie

Coconut Passion Fruit Domes

Even though sustainability in the food industry is seen as a must-do, the concepts are not always well understood and may be interpreted differently. The FAO refers to a sustainable food value chain as a food value chain that: 1) Is profitable throughout all of its stages (economic sustainability); 2) Has broad-based benefits for society (social sustainability); and 3) Has a positive or neutral impact on the natural environment (environmental sustainability).

In recognition of National Safety Awareness Month (June), ORBIS® Corporation, an international reusable packaging manufacturer, wants companies to evaluate the safety of their supply chains. The following four tips revolve around the use of reusable packaging to help create a clean and safe work environment for employees in manufacturing and distribution settings. Tip 1: Decrease risk with innovative materials It’s difficult to predict what a unit load will interact with throughout the supply chain, so pallet material advancements are helping operators protect against any potential risks. Reusable plastic pallets, blended with fire-retardant, metal and X-ray-detectable additives are just some of the new materials that have been developed to minimize risk. •Fire-retardant pallets: Many fire-retardant plastic materials — such as Proliant® offered by ORBIS, the first to provide this level of protection — are compliant with the Food and Drug Administration. This material enables fire-retardant pallets, which are approved by Factory Mutual Research Corporation and meet fire rating requirements equivalent to wood pallets to be used in food processing plants. •Metal and X-ray detectable: Available in select pallets, metal-detectable additives are blended into the plastic, allowing foreign objects to be detected before making their way into finished goods. This is a feature wood pallets cannot offer. Similar to metal-detectable additives, products with X-ray detectable material use barium sulfate as a means of detection. Tip 2: Assist employees with innovative ergonomics Between the evolving workforce and skyrocketing workers’ compensation and health care costs, ergonomically designed containers simultaneously are needed to improve worker safety for the aging workforce and the bottom line. The characteristics of reusable packaging, including the consistent size and unique features — such as access doors that make it easy for employees to reach the bottom of containers, collapsible container walls and wheeled solutions — can result in fewer strains and musculoskeletal disorders. This could result in fewer reported incidents related to packaging because of improved stackability, easier handling, and better material tracking and locating. Tip 3: Keep workers healthy with less debris, mold and dust  Reusable plastic packaging offers cleanliness benefits that prevent employee contact with debris, mold and dust. The hygienic design allows for proper cleaning and allergen management. Hygienic plastic pallets, for example, have a nonporous structure so they cannot absorb moisture, odour or mold and don’t have cavities or hollow areas for water to collect. These traits are not only important for customer purposes but also for the safety of employees, particularly those with allergies. An estimated 15 million Americans have food allergies, and every year, allergens cost businesses $25 million as they are sued, fined or shut down due to contact with allergic customers or employees.1 To help combat this, reusable packaging cleanly moves and stores food products, supporting safe and sanitary conditions. Tip 4: Reduce sharp and loose object exposure with durable packaging The smooth design of reusable plastic packaging makes it free from protruding nails, loose boards and staples that are common with alternative pallets, reducing the risk of employee exposure to sharp or loose objects. The texture of plastic packaging helps reduce risks often associated with wood pallets, including cuts and splinters, and promotes safer stacking. Similarly, plastic packaging doesn’t break easily — preventing any broken and often unsafe wood pieces from falling on a plant floor. National Safety Awareness Month is a timely reminder for supply chain organizations to implement best practise for safety and re-evaluate tactics already in place.

While most pastries, cookies and cakes are considered a decadent treat because they are usually high in calories and lack essential nutrients, an evolution has been happening: Meet the better-for-you cookie.

Janice Best spoke with Bakers Journal to learn about the best way to work with frozen, or refrigerated dough. What is the safest way to use it? Can it be re-frozen safely?

Technology transforms everything it touches, and the food industry is no different. In a few years time, every food item we purchase could have its entire history – from the farm to the production facility to the vending machine – tracked and available right on the package. Smart packaging will monitor internal food temperatures and assess whether the contents are safe for consumption.

As consumer interest in gluten-free products has grown, the category has transitioned from a niche to a mainstream market segment. This has resulted in access to better quality ingredients including a broad range of gluten-free flours.

Bakers Journal asked Elaine O’Doherty about the trends in flour and bread. Is bread still on the menu for Canadian bakeries and restaurants? What does the public want, and what should they know about the future of flour?

Finding alternative ingredients for vegan baking has opened up options for development and the opportunity to focus on flavours. The biggest challenge in vegan baking is overcoming the loss of eggs’ functionality, as they provide stable emulsions, structure, stability, and texture.

PhD doctorate Quoc Cuong Nguyen, defended his doctorate on how consumers’ preferences and their perception of satiety, at the food research institute NOFIMA.

Now that spring has sprung, we say goodbye to barren bushes and hello to an abundance of fresh, vibrant and delicious fruits. Simple and natural fruit forward pastries, cakes and baked goods continue to trend in 2019.

Consumers live a fast and busy lifestyle. While being health conscious, they gravitate towards purchasing more “grab and go” options and this includes baked goods.

It’s no secret that small and medium-sized bakeries often find themselves having difficulty competing against the big guys. Making the best bear claws in town doesn’t matter if no one is coming in to try them.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), retailers are less optimistic about the overall health of their business than other business owners. The shortage of skilled labour is one of the top factors hindering their growth.

Effective energy management in industrial baking revolves around two key areas: production and cost. In most cases, once the energy consumption involved in production is made efficient and free of inconsistencies, costs will decrease too.

Opening your own business is one of the biggest risks one can take in life -- especially in the foodservice business. It’s a sobering fact that more bakery and foodservice operations fail than succeed. But if you do succeed, it can be very rewarding.

Goodbye customer! It’s nothing personal (at least not usually). Sometimes customers’ expectations can’t be met, other times customers require an inordinate amount of time, and on rare occasions, a customer’s behaviour may expose an organization to undue peril.

Paytronix Systems, Inc., developer of a digital guest experience platform, announced the acquisition of Open Dining, the provider of ordering-and-delivery for small-to-medium-sized restaurants.

For many small bakeries, competing with grocery stores or large-scale bakeries can be daunting. However, Michele Roberts, the owner of Etobicoke-based Tartistry sees the growing trend in food-oriented tourism as an opportunity to showcase small or burgeoning bakeries, and bring in locals from other parts of the city.

According to LinkedIn, it costs between four to ten times more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep an existing one. Whether you are already operating a bakery or thinking of opening a bakery, customer feedback is vital in the bakery business.

For most companies, employee salaries are their largest expense. The costs associated with finding, training and retaining employees is high. Investing in new employees is often seen as a gamble, as the new employee might not be a good fit.

A penny saved is a penny earned. There are many ways to lose money in your bakery business. It could be in the kitchen, storage areas or in the office. There are also dozens of small changes that can save your bakery money every year such as taking proper inventory, re-evaluating your food orders, and using your bakery products creatively.

Puratos Canada, the Canadian arm of global Belgium-based brand Puratos has released some key insights into the consumer trends and the future of bakeries, with the results of a three-year study.

Today people are much more knowledgeable about food than ever before. Canada’s professional baking and pastry programs have had to advance forward, creating new courses to meet industry needs and offering specialty training certificates, while continuing to teach the classics.

Back to School” is a deeply nostalgic term. It brings me back to the smell of new notebooks, fresh pens, and a chance to start anew. With this edition of Bakers Journal, students of all ages are learning something new, and with it, the olfactory memories of school supplies means the smell of something delicious in the oven.

Aurora, Ont. – The Canadian Food and Wine Institute at Niagara College will offer short-term and part-time training in culinary skills, commercial brewing and viticulture in Aurora, Ont.

Charlottetown – The Culinary Institute of Canada at Holland College in Charlottetown recently opened up its new facilities – which include a restaurant and cafeteria – to students after months of renovations. The Guardian reports. | READ MORE

With their semester coming to an end, students in the Advanced Baking and Pastry graduate certificate program at Durham College (DC) were put to their final test – create a Pop-up Bake Shop in which to package, market and sell their creative concoctions.

George Brown College's chef school held its annual gingerbread house competition on Tuesday, Nov. 29, with 23 entries vying for prizes.

Belgian pastry chef Mathieu Dierinck, a technical advisor to the Callebaut Chocolate Academy in Wieze, Belgium, made a stop at George Brown College in Toronto in late October to provide to demonstration to a crowd of industry professionals and students.

There is no language barrier when it comes to high-end patisserie.

On Thursday, May 12 Cacao Barry, in cooperation with George Brown College in Toronto, hosted a demonstration by chef Ramon Morato, an award-winning cookbook author and the global creative innovation leader with Cacao Barry, based at the Chocolate Academy training centre in Barcelona.

Customers are curious about what you do, how you do it, and how they can execute some of your tricks of the trade at home. Just look at the programming line up on Food Network Canada, the abundance of food and drink magazines lining the checkouts at your local grocery store, and the buffet of websites, blogs and social media accounts catering to self-proclaimed “foodies.”

Three creative star chefs and Cacao Barry chocolate proved an irresistible combination for students of George Brown College’s baking program.