Here you are: The Bakery Journal and Innovation secrets

With so much happening around, it does make sense to have a Bakery Journal. All the latest innovations in the industry are reported here. Read the excerpt from the article -

Fresh trends: Process Innovation secrets

By Michelle Brisebois

"A form of process innovation known as Six-Sigma (a statistical term referencing 99.9997 per cent efficiency) has already been implemented in the baking industry by Maidstone Bakeries of Brantford, Ont. In a November 2007 press release Maidstone declared: “By identifying areas of production waste and leftover dough and oil, Maidstone eliminated 80 per cent of the waste, improved its environmental efficiencies and saved significant dollars in the process. While many companies avoid changing their quality management methodologies because of the perceived investments in time and money, Maidstone has proven that the transition has already paid for itself tenfold.”

Reading Bakery Systems Innovation Center: Mindboggling

Reading Bakery SystemsReading Bakery Systems is a leading manufacturer of bakery equipment, providing turnkey processing systems and support services for the snack food industry. Reading Bakery Systems utilizes state-of-the-art design and production techniques combined with the skill and insight of our engineering, manufacturing and sales team to earn the trust and respect of customers worldwide. Reading Bakery Systems offers Thomas L. Green and Reading Pretzel equipment lines that provide a variety of processing solutions capable of producing a wide range of snack products, such as cookies, crackers, fabricated potato chips, pretzels and bread snack products. Exact Mixers from Reading Bakery Systems offers innovative continuous mixing solutions to several industries, including baked snacks, pet treats, sweet goods, pizza and tortillas.

The headquarters of Reading Bakery Systems is located in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, an hour and a half drive northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

What strikes me most is the "Innovation Centre." Biscuit processing all over the world has benefitted from the sophisticated baking equipments manufactured here.

Learn more about how crackers, biscuits & cookies are processed-all on the Reading Bakery Systems site.

Some of the equipments manufactured at RBS-

Mixing and ingredient feed equipment

Sheeting line

Prism Oven and Dryer

And here's how your crackers come tumbling down...

Sophisticated equipments include thermal readers, cutters, dispensers, coolers, extruders, laminators, conveyors, washers, et al. You name it and they have it--all improvised versions.    

WOW...Learning with biscuits

Just when I think that this is all about biscuits, pop comes a new dimension of thought. Ideating is definitely not about anchors.

We all know that biscuits and cookies are closest to children, one of the biggest biscuit eating segments. So why should they not be targeted. See how parents can be convinced into buying biscuits even if they have no nutritional value. A new revelation--biscuits as learning tools! Surprised? Take a look at Arnott's "Tic Toc" biscuits. They have discovered a novel way of teaching kids how to read the clock--how interesting.

In varieties as elaborate as "two 'o' clock" to "almost two 'o' clock," it is a great way to ensure that once the kids get hooked on to this method of learning, parents have but no choice but to stuff the house with Arnott's biscuits. Now this is what is called dual innovation, in "biscuits" as well as "learning methods," and a tried and tested one. Anybody-ideas?? My head is swarming with them. :-)

WHAT'S THE TIME?

Learning is fun. And even better when you can keep munching to your heart's delight while learning. Am I not smitten by this idea? Really COOL.
  

Future innovation in biscuit not a fad: A lot is happening

Biscuits are more often than not compulsive buys. However, biscuits are the one common representative of indulgence in the entire world. The impact it has on the health and buying behavior of the consumer across the globe is noteworthy. As per a research report by Daniel Lord, ex-strategy consultant, Durlacher Research (Market Analysis), future innovation in the bakery sector is a must considering the innumerable drivers in present-day society, especially with respect to health and lifestyle. According to his survey, retail giants earn 6-10% of their profits from the biscuits and bakery product sector.

An investment worth it, the trend has just started catching up as is evident from the report below-

Kraft Foods to Research Biscuits in France

By: Stephen Kersey | Comment

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Kraft Foods, which has food for sale in more than 125 countries around the globe, is opening a facility in France that will research biscuits. The facility, which will be called Biscuit Research & Development Center, will be built in a suburb of Paris at a price of around $20 million.
Said Michael Clarke of Kraft Foods Europe: “France is an important strategic market for biscuits and for Kraft Foods globally. This investment makes good business sense, allowing us to continue to drive biscuit innovation and future growth. Consumers in Europe and around the world have long enjoyed our exceptional biscuit brands, and this facility will further enable us to create delicious new products for years to come.”
Kraft’s popular biscuit brands in Europe include LU, Prince, TUC and Mikado. These biscuit brands have helped Kraft Foods take home an annual revenue of more than $40 billion.
Research & development centers aren’t a new creation for Kraft Foods. In fact, the company will have a dozen such centers after this one is completed.

Ref: http://everyjoe.com/work/kraft-foods-to-research-biscuits-in-france/

Innovation in packaging biscuits: Go green with metal

Going green is the mantra nowadays. Metals can be recycled and therefore is being considered as a strong option in the bicuit packaging sphere. The US firm Crown takes the lead--read more on

http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Packaging/Metal-packaging-innovation-confers-eco-friendly-opportunities-for-premium-biscuits 

Biscuit manufacturing & Milk processing @ Nilgiri Bangalore.

Innovative ideas for the biscuit manufacturing has thrilled our team as it has given a new dimmension for our
research on biscuits.To get more of the idea on manufacturing the preference of the taste and extrapulating from the consumer what they really demand in the biscuit made us to explore the factories who are manufacturing it.
The visit to biscuit factory was an eye opener as it made us to see what actually goes in to prepare them.The entire assembly line of the manufacturing and packaging gave us a full insight. Since we where not allowed to take the snap for the process we could only see it and it has thrilled us by knowing the process of making such nice snacks for the childrens adults and every works of life. The visit to the Nilgiris manufacturing plant has enlightned us from being a mere biscuit eater to biscuit lover. It has also made us feel the passion by which they manufacture these biscuits and cakes.
In the process we also visited the milk processing plant at the Bangalore site which we can use as a comparision of the products and the manufacturing difficulties of the different products.We saw the manufacturing of the yogurt and another stufffs which can be one of the challanges for the biscuit industry in the future as the parents may force there children to have these products as there breakfast menu.
We where also previledged to have a look at the making of the puffs which is also one of the high demand segment for the snacks and every time munching.we where enlightened to come to know that they prepare very delicately for the veg and non veg puffs as it is of greater consern for the people as there integrity should be intact.Puffs can be one of the alternative for the biscuits as it has grown in demand in the young and adults.
The price for both the products is competitive and hence there is a choice for the people to take for the snacks.
The biscuit industry may have to face to face a huge challenge form the cakes and pasteries and even the puffs which has come in a healthy competition in between very quitelty.

Now this is no small cookie, it's real competition

I was under the impression that people eat cookies more than they eat cakes but it's tough when you have such alluring cakes to compete with. Bangalore is surely on its way to obesity. Nilgiris holds an exhibition of cakes prior to christmas and boy oh boy, aren't they amazing. Have a look at the priceless piece of the 36th annual Nilgiri's cake exhibition, 2010. I believe it took two months to do this.