Lallemand’s Bakery Seminar at IBA

Lallemand hosted the Raising Ahead Bakery Seminar during IBA 2018 in Munich. This 90-minute session was packed with valuable information for everyone in the baking industry.

Eduard Nikel, Master Baker head of experimental bakery of AGF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Getreideforschung e.V.), reviewed global bakery trends with a sourdough outlook. His topic covered the growth and benefits of organic foods and the prominence of superfoods in recent food launches.

Nikel went on to explain how the food industry has adapted to meet the demands of the modern on-the-go consumer. The company predicts food products with reduced sugar and the further movement towards meat reduction in the future. As consumers seek products with fewer ingredients, we will see an increase in sourdough products, prompting industrial bakeries to reconsider their offering to the market.

Professor Alain Le-Bail, Professor at ONIRIS (Nantes-Atlantic National College of Food Science, engineering and veterinary medicine) discussed baking process optimization, which he explained starts with a baking line audit. Energy, quality and productivity need to be carefully reviewed across the key processes of mixing and baking to ensure optimization. 

Dr. Lin Carson, CEO of BAKERpedia passionately discussed the myths of bread in our diet. Carson took us through her 90-day journey of consuming a loaf of bread per day. This personal challenge resulted in validating some facts around bread; from our survival on bread alone to gluten intolerance. Carson also went on talk about how education and innovation are important tools in promoting and selling bread to consumers. Bread is an important staple across the world and Carson’s presentation reminded the baking industry that bread remains an integral part of a balanced diet.

Dr. Jacinthe Cote, nutritionist and product management director of Lallemand Baking ended the seminar by deconstructing the myths about baking and baker’s yeast. Cote’s presentation highlit how most health professionals recognize bread as part of a healthy diet. She delved into the multiple reasons for a decline in bread consumption across the E.U. in the last few decades. Nowadays, yeast-raised goods are exposed to attacks by many influential self-proclaimed health and wellness gurus having misconceived ideas. Cote shared the facts about baking products and baker’s yeast, in hopes of helping debunk some popular beliefs, such as bread consumption causing gluten sensitivity or obesity.