Canada’s Baking Show

A look at some of the sights and products that cropped up at Bakery Showcase 2006.

Bakery Showcase, Canada’s national baking trade show, kicked off on May 7 at the Toronto Congress Centre. The show featured a wide spectrum of exhibitors offering everything needed to make the perfect baked good, from equipment to packaging and everything else in between. Whole grains were definitely all the talk, and were featured not only in many exhibitors’ booths, but also in the seminars. Laura Pasut, nutritionist and consumer education spokesperson for the Grains They’re Essential! campaign, gave a recap of the efforts of the campaign and also touched on whole grains, what consumers think of them and what to expect from the revamped Canadian Food Guide due out in the fall (the emphasis will definitely be whole grains servings versus simply grain servings). Phillip Lee Wing of The Food Development Group offered a packed seminar on whole grain products, which products are suitable for the baking industry and also chatted about some of the formulating challenges of working with whole grains. And Dr. John Michaelides (of the Guelph Food Technology Centre) spoke about functional foods and how bakers can cash in on this trend.

These gluten-free tapioca cookies are called Panderos, and are new to Canada. Made by American-based company Panderos Delights, they’re gluten-free, low in sodium, low in cholesterol, have no artificial flavours, colourings or preservatives.

The Smucker’s/Robin Hood booth featured a number of new whole grains products for customers to sample, including a whole grain pizza crust and these Wheat Wise bread mixes made with 100 per cent whole grains.

This very Canadian creation was one of the many cakes Don Lundy whipped up in the Dawn Food Products (Canada) booth. Dawn was also showcasing a number of new whole grain mixes and bases. The company’s whole grain donuts were a big draw.

Grain Process Enterprises Ltd. introduced salba seed at the show. Salba is a variety of an ancient plant species called chia that belongs to the mint family. It’s packed to the brim with Omega-3 fatty acids, along with protein, potassium, magnesium, calcium and antioxidants, among other nutrients. It can be used as a bulking agent and carries with it a low glycemic index.

This edible art was found in the Chef Michel-Ange booth and made with the company’s Biscor decorative cookies, which are intended to help turn any pastry into a delectable piece of art.

The Puratos booth wowed attendees as usual, with chocolate demonstrations resulting in the below creation, along with dough demonstrations, and its customary taste-test survey. The company introduced its line of Natur’ALL cakes at Bakery Showcase – healthy, flavourful, whole grain coffee cakes.

Citri-Fi is an all-natural product made by Fiberstar and featured in the Hollimex Products booth. Produced from citrus pulp, it’s a fibre that is meant to serve as a moisture management tool to allow the addition and incorporation of a large amount of water in baked goods. It can also be used for replacing up to 50 per cent of fat in a baked product, apparently without affecting the taste or texture of the product.

The pictures above and to follow are just a sampling of some of the many new product and decorating ideas on display at the show.