New and Old Challenges in Baking Business
A big event like iba is a major opportunity for business meetings, where innovation from all sectors can be found. And speaking of technology, the newest ingredients, or trends in baking, about digitalization, snacking or packaging – Munich, Germany, is a place to go, this September 15-20.
Ahead of the long-anticipated trade fair, I would like to highlight challenges that are part of the industry’s narrative worldwide, and are a part of conversations, with possible solutions, be it in formal platforms such as iba, or in any business occasions.
- First of all, the industry is (still) faced with the negative image of bread. However, the industry has rather changed the paradigm to communicate there are benefits in bread consumption. For this, it is by turning to the snacking category or to pastry alternatives to bread, aside from solely promoting the benefits of baked products. For now, this might appear to be a good move, as snacking products and pastry have a higher added value, but on the long term, this bad image that breads have (especially coming from low-carb diets) must be addressed. The alternatives of baked goods that are already present on the market need to be promoted for their health benefits now! Bread promotion activities are already underway in the EU, with case studies available: a good start, in this sense, is AIBI’s “Bread Promotion Activities in Europe” symposium, hosting a focused conversation on just that.
- Secondly, the workforce remains a major problem for most countries, as the young generation is not enticed enough to become skilled bakers, pastry chefs or confectioners. The industry is also working on promoting the advantages and the opportunities these occupations bring, to attract passionate professionals for tomorrow.
It is a missed opportunity that nowadays, when chefs have become very popular with youngsters in particular are very interested in healthy food, wellbeing, as well as traceability and the environment, becoming a professional in the baking industry is not so fascinating for them. And this can be changed. The bakery and confectionery professionals can and do help, with the help of social media and the press, to promote themselves and their professions. - Thirdly, hygiene and new food safety requirements are increasingly hot topics in the agenda for any bakery event. This is a sector where bakers still have work to do, as the foodborne disease outbreaks come back regularly and the food recalls are announced almost every day. The technology and legislation are available, but they have to be implemented. There is a huge opportunity in modernizing facilities and making it public through media channels, as well as organizing events for the public and the press. It is also a way of promoting not only their products, changing the negative perceptions and earning consumer’s trust, but also to engage in an open dialogue, which breeds loyalty.
In the end, I would like to highlight that WorldBakers’ team will be present at iba2018 trade fair and you can write to our colleagues: catalina.mihu@mediatrade.ro (editorial) and cristina.nae@cmgromania.ro (sales), to meet in Munich.
I hope you enjoyed our iba-specials – the editorial coverage over the last weeks, including our dedicated iba newsletter campaign, and our summer editions of European Baker & Biscuit, Asia Pacific Baker & Biscuit, as well as World Bakers Digital. To read more about our comprehensive previews of the fair, ahead of your trip this week, go to www.worldbakers.com!
Read more on iba 2018 topic:
Exclusive: Exhibitors Anticipate Iba 2018. Expectations And Stand Highlights (I)
Exclusive: Exhibitors Anticipate Iba 2018. Expectations And Stand Highlights (II)