A fresh loaf of bread, a crusty pie and crispy pastries are must-haves on the dinner table.###However, before they reach the table, they would have traveled a long way from the factory and the retail shelves.###What can bakeries do to maintain product freshness while advancing their offerings with technology?###Food News International asks Theresa Cogswell, Corbion’s new innovation program director, bakery for answers.###FNI: What breakthroughs in the bakery industry are you most impressed with?
Cogswell: I think the most impressive, revolutionary breakthrough in the bakery industry is the development of extended shelf life technology. ###The business model for the bakery industry was direct-to-store delivery. ###With their route trucks and drivers, the bakers were making deliveries five-to-seven days per week. Fresh bread only had a shelf life of three days; we used to joke that the only thing with a shorter shelf life was the daily paper! ###With 50-60% of costs devoted to distribution, we thought there hnutricology zinc citratead to be a better way – some way to use technology to make a loaf that would be perceived as fresh longer, and still meet consumer expectations for taste, flavor and texture. ###Being able to find and use the right technologmagnesium citrate pricey to enable that was the best breakthrough. ###Naturally, the industry has moved way past what we developed 20 years ago, but our work was the basis for the resulting innovations. ###FNI: How have these breakthroughs inspired your work?
Cogswell: The breakthroughs made years ago open a lot of opportunities for other ingredients to complement extended shelf life.###There is an amazing amount of work still to be done to take it to the next generation. #liquid calcium magnesium citrate##We are still progressing. ###The question now is to know how to enhance extended shelf life and make the entire bakery industry more profitable while still giving consumers what they want. ###FNI: What does your new role in the company entail?
Cogswell: When it comes to innovation, part of my job is to continually kick people out of their comfort zone. ###I love innovation, managing work flow and motivating people. ###I am fortunate to have a tferrous glutamatealented, hard-working team of scientists here work hard and also love innovation. ###FNI: What would you say to bakeries that are conservative to innovation and focus their effort on making the same products for years, such as those made by family-owned facilities for generations?
Cogswell: This industry does love the ‘we’ve always done it this way’ approach – “old dough-heads die hard” is a saying I have heard for years.###However, there is room in the market for everyone. ###If you do not want to change, you can still survive. ###You can still thrive. ###The family-owned bakery on the corner can still be making the same recipe for butter stollen that everyone wants for Christmas, but maybe they are also selling it on the internet. ###Technology advances and innovation can take many differentferrous fumarate 325 forms. ######FNI: Entrepreneurial bakeries (fusion, experimental, trendy) and traditional bakeries (household names, established, specialized). How should they innovate and yet ring in the profit?
Cogswell: It is important for all bakeries to remember that great technology and exciting innovation is worthless without solid execution. ###Begin with the end in mind. ###What will help everyone? How do we get there? ###And do not let finances get in the way. ###Develop it, get it right and then figure out how to cost reduce if necessary.###FNI: What are your views on consumers’ demand for gluten and gluten-free baked goods?
Cogswell: Gluten-free options are very important for people with celiac disease to maintain their health. ###For others, who are choosing gluten-free as a life-style change, it can be a challenge to meet their nutritional demand. ###Nutritional needs and parameters must be identified and met for long term health. ###Stepping on a diet fad bandwagon, for any reason, may have unintended consequences the person never thought about.###FNI: How will these two categories thrive in the crowded retail space? What innovation can each category work on grow?
Cogswell: As we look forward, the retail bakery space is crowded, and we can always work on ways to do things better. ###For example, we can look at innovative ways to cut down waste or make people healthier. ###Gluten-free is certainly part of that for people with celiac disease. ###In the process, we can also make companies more profitable. ###This gets me excited about my work. ###I can ask the questions that will help get us where we want to go. ###Finding solutions to pain points in the baking industry by developing new technology has been a focus for much of my career. ###I am able to communicate the needs of our industry to the diversified team of international scientists and staff who can help with coming up with solutions. ###New technology that can leave the baking industry better than we found it, that is exciting!