VitaFiber, an all-Canadian alternative to sugar was launched in Toronto at CHFA East, a Canadian health food show.

A new Munson Ribbon Blender, model HD-3.5-9-SS, features an integral bag dump station that collects dust generated during manual dumping activities, improving worker safety and plant hygiene.

SweeGen, a nature-based sweetener company, announced the launch of its advanced stevia-based sugar reduction platform, BESTEVIA® Taste Solutions.

Confusion among honey consumers in Canada and the United States reached its peak over the last few weeks when the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and a lawsuit filed in Kansas alleged that the honey industry in both countries is "rife with fraud."

Redpath® Sugar launched its new product line, Redpath® Collection: The Canadian heritage brand's new product line kicks off with two distinct sugars with plans to add additional unique products in the future.

Interest in CBD is strongest in the food and beverage industry, where year-over-year social mention growth was 189 per cent, according to Signals Playbook™. Numerous estimates put the CBD food and beverage market value in the billion dollar range.

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.

A couple that first met in a high school entrepreneurship program now run a thriving baking business together three decades later. |READ MORE|

Mr. Puffs celebrated the launch of its 13th location in April 2019. The 15-year-old company is cornering the market on the loukoumades phenomenon with Quebecers eating up 50 million of the small puffy doughballs.

Kaley Laird, the executive pastry chef of Rhubarb knows how sustainability is affecting the baking industry. It’s an extra challenge when working almost exclusively with local grain and produce.

As I write this, IBIE is two weeks away. This year’s International Baking Industry Expo will be a first for me, and I have only photographs and clips from previous years’ attendees as reference.

Pastry Chef Charley Scruggs of Terra restaurant in South Carolina, USA, sees something in dandelions that most chefs overlook. Where fresh dandelion greens appear in salads or vegetable mixes, Chef Scruggs uses the dandelion heads and not the leaves; the petals are garnish and the heads are distilled into a bright gold syrup.

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.

"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

Oils have long been a part of baking. Consider the lightweight chiffon cake invented in Los Angeles, California, in 1927, by Henry Baker. 

Responding to the increasing demand from consumers for organic products, Frutarom Health, a division of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., is releasing a new range of Organic SoyLife Complex soy isoflavones.

A surge of momentum calling for regulation changes to permit CBD in Natural Health Products has been seen last month, following the launch of the Canadian Health Food Association's (CHFA) campaign, CBD is Natural. This could change the way bakers work with CBD for the health food market.

Kellogg Company unveiled its ambitious next-generation commitment to address global food security aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (U.N. SDGs) and launched its 11th annual Corporate Responsibility Report, Creating Better Days.

Loryma, wheat ingredient specialists, will focus on solutions to meet the world’s growing need for plant-based proteins at this year’s FiE.

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.

You have a new bakery store that you’ve dreamed of for years, but that dream can be short-lived if you can’t attract customers.

Here are the Ten Commandments of value creation and earning a customer for life.

Competition is fierce to get gourmet goods recognized by celebrities. Bakers know that despite the initial investment, the financial payoff of swag bags can increase sales once a film star is seen eating, or even just standing near your brand. How do you get your goods promoted by the rich and famous?

Ardent Mills, the flour-milling and ingredient company, announced that it has signed a 25-year agreement with US Solar to purchase an expected 1.8 million kWh annually under a subscription plan supporting US Solar’s Goodhue County, Minnesota solar gardens.

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.

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.