COVER STORY

Forthcoming Trends in Bakery

Bakery industry in India is one of the most robust industries. Major contributors to this growth are the growing youth segment and working women population, besides rising incomes and purchasing power. Other contributors to the rise of consumption of bakery products are increase in number of upper middle class and the growing internet penetration. Due to the increasing awareness of health consciousness of the youth, who are the major consumers of bakery products, the industry has to constantly adopt new techniques to satisfy the demands of the millennials. It has become imperative for the industry to experiment with new ingredients and packaging techniques as well as adopt new technology to meet the demands of the gen Z. Ashok Malkani tries to fathom the forthcoming trends, in this industry, in the near future.

Variety, it is said, is the spice of life. This is all the more applicable in the bakery industry where there is a necessity for a change in the product range at regular intervals. It may be mentioned that the demand for processed and convenience foods has been increasing constantly and the changing lifestyles and food habits have led to unceasing changes in bakery products over the years. These changes are expected to continue in the future too. The changes that are forecast would be in the flavours, ingredients, packaging, technology, et al.

Baking, over the years has undergone numerous changes. History of baking can be traced back to the medieval period, when baking was considered as a luxury. During the Roman period people loved baked goods, which were in great demand for important occasions like feasts and weddings. Around 300 BC Romans introduced baking as an occupation. The first open air bakery commenced in Paris. The world’s oldest oven, around 6500 years old, was discovered in Croatia in 2014. Pre-cut bread, using automatic breadslicing machine, invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder, was introduced on July 7, 1928 in Chillicothe, Missouri.

Changes have been a constant in the bakery industry. Globalisation transformed baking in the 16th and 17th centuries, which heralded an explosion of treacle and currants. John Walter, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Essex , has stated, “If you were wealthy, your baked goods would be rich in exotic colour. But if you were poor, you were grateful if you could afford meat for your pie.”

Convenience, accessibility and nutrition profile have been the major factors for the growth of bakery industry. The trend for “Natural nutrition”, “healthy living” and “organic products” has significantly raised the consumers’ demand for bakery products and the need for the industry to come up with products that meet the requirements of

the young generation, which is the one that consumes a major portion of the bakery products. About 65% of India’s population of 1.21 billion comprises of youth. It is thus necessary for the industry to understand the craving of the youth.

Upcoming New Trends Kamlesh Salve, Executive Chef, The Mirador Hotel, Mumbai, states, “Driven by consumer preferences and patisseries’ relentless desire to experiment, the bakery industry is continuously evolving. When a new flavour is well received, it never signals the epitome of baking. Chefs continue exploring and experimenting because consumers expect to be treated to novel treats regularly. Demand for innovative treats makes the bakery industry among the most competitive in the world.

“The great thing is Chef’s skilled at baking, and anticipating flavours consumers love, are rewarded handsomely. Those unwilling to experiment and unable to predict trends may not have to close shop, but they will never enjoy the prestige of those who can do both.

“We have seen several changes in eating habits; to name a few… gluten free meal or breads, dairy free product.”

He adds, “Because millennials have

Alex Dias

Rajat Sachdev

Kamlesh Salve BAKERY REVIEW

grown up in the age of globalisation, they are more conscious of health trends going around the world and are more sensitive to body perceptions. While they are consciously changing their food habits, their diet is also unconsciously being affected by changing global trends in the fitness industry. Millennials prefer places with strong food ethics. They want to know how fresh or organic their food is, where their food is coming from, and if it is ethically sourced.

“Gluten free bread is the newest trend. Plant based options are also infiltrating foods like pizza crust made with butternut squash and cauliflower. Breads are being fortified with beet and carrots, chickpeas pasta. There is also a demand for sugar free desserts. Everything which is made without sugar, gluten or dairy products is becoming the preferred choice. Usage of dehydrated buckwheat, seeds and dried fruit is being used instead of sugar.”

Alex Dias, Executive Chef, Novotel Hotels & Resorts Goa is of the opinion that people are looking for healthy options, which are sustainable. “Bread”, he adds, “plays an important role. It is served across all meals in the form of sandwiches and even in soups.”

He avers, “Regardless of age, consumers want to live a wellness lifestyle that will help them to stay fit. Millennials like to see things differently, and are ready to try new things. Local bakers need to come up with more of local stuff, incorporate their products with local seeds or fresh produce within the local farms or local market.”

Rajat Sachdev, Pastry Chef, Sofitel Mumbai BKC, declares, “In today’s world people are more conscious of physical fitness and healthy food without having to sacrifice satisfying flavours. Their main focus is on having a good lifestyle, maintaining a nutritious and complete diet, while pampering themselves. Hotels and restaurants are establishing a balance between good fats, healthy carbs, better sweeteners, wholesome ingredients and satisfying flavour enhancements to help customers maintain stability between health and indulgence.

“In order to meet the requirements of the consumers, Sofitel Mumbai BKC has come up with a specially curated menu for its guests, called “De-light”, which is served at the Pondichéry Café– All-Day Dining. The Café has a separate menu for customers who are health conscious, and it has a special section focusing on breakfast. The menu showcases the distinctive skills of hotel’s chef in designing an innovative array of well-balanced, low-calorie meals to help guests meet their lifestyle goals. The “De-Light” menu items place an emphasis on fresh, whole ingredients, low calories and highlight the relationship between food and culture.”

Trends in Bread The bakery sector in India, with over a million unorganised bakeries and more than 2000 organised or semi organised bakeries, is the largest of all the segments of the country’s food processing sector. According to a report by TechSci Research, India’s bread market stood at $ 640.73 million in 2017, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 10.70%, in value terms, during 2019- 2024, to reach $ 1024.54 million by 2024. This could be attributed to the fact that the bread market too is undergoing several changes as per the tastes and demands of the consumers.

Alex avers, “Now people are looking for artisan home style breads. The future seems to be more of seeds and grain bread.”

Rajat claims, “With the rise in demand for bakery products, bakers are constantly experimenting with their skills and inventing new delicacies. As people are becoming more health conscious, they want more natural and healthier food products to choose from. To keep the consumers satisfied and happy, bakers are indulging into new trends and natural ingredients to make all their products, including bread, retain their freshness and provide satisfaction to the taste buds. There is a growing interest of consumers in their usual products which have been given an innovative twist, by using natural food colourings, dried fruits, rare ingredients to maintain freshness, natural oils, exotic seeds and more.”

Kamlesh elaborates further and states, “People are moving away from highlyprocessed products containing artificial ingredients and flavours. They are favouring food items perceived to be more natural with shorter ingredient lists and less reliance on added preservatives. In a recent survey specific to the bread industry, it was found that consumers are not satisfied with regular packaged or industrial breads. They want breads with healthier ingredients. Consumers not only want just breads but also flat breads with new grains.

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The trend is now poised for breads with olives, nuts, apricots and other ingredients. Experimenting is always a part of Chef’s life! “Consumer are demanding healthier options of bread which are rich in omega-3, have high quality nuts and dried fruits. They are looking for breads which use organic ingredients. There is likely to be a demand for breads which include buckwheat, spelt and kamut, paired with slow fermentation techniques, to create new varieties of nuanced flavours and textures.”

Innovative Ingredients Busy lifestyles, increasing number of nuclear families and the growing number of working women, have led to changing eating habits escalating the demand for bakery products as they are considered healthier options. Since the millennials are more prone to opt for baked products and since they are extremely health conscious the industry has to use healthy ingredients. This has led to usage of ingredients which are glutenfree, have limited amount of calories from added sugar and saturated fats. In some cases sugar is being replaced by other sweetening agents.

Rajat states, “The different diets that consumers have started to opt for have now become a way of life for many, and to satisfy their food habits, the industry has

to change and innovate concepts around these diets. The challenge that many faced were providing for consumers on a keto, quinoa or gluten based diet. Over the years, chefs have found many solutions and have implemented the same in their style of baking. As the demand for such products rise, bakers will have to find more innovative means to satisfy this growing market.”

Kamlesh iterates, “Millennials prefer places with strong food ethics. They want to know how fresh or organic their food is, where their food is coming from, and if it is ethically sourced. Because millennials have grown up in the age of globaliSation, they are more conscious of health trends going around the world and are more sensitive to body perceptions. While they are consciously changing their food habits, their diet is also unconsciously being affected by changing global trends in the fitness industry.

“Gluten free bread is the newest trend, Plant based options are also infiltrating foods like pizza crust made with butternut squash and cauliflower. Breads are being fortified with beet and carrots. Sugar free desserts are being introduced.

“In the future we expect to see more of bakers experimenting with heirloom varieties like rye and barley. Ancient grains like durum could also be an option. Flour

of these grains produce a different gluten quality that is easy to digest compared to the whole wheat or wheat flour. Pea flour will be used to provide protein in breads and cookies.

“Crème with high fat content and low beating time would also become popular. “One can also add natural fruits, nectars, edible flowers, natural oil, shrubs and shoots to the unending and unimaginable list of ingredients.”

New Flavours Flavour or fragrance is an essential element of India. Utilisation of fragrances dates to Indus Valley civilization. Since then, the use of fragrance and odoriferous substances has been a common practice across India. Aroma also plays a major role in the bakery industry. One often stands outside an open bakery enjoying the aroma that wafts out of the premises.

Now it is not the usual flavour of baking bread wafting out of the premises. There new flavours now that emanate and attract you. New flavours are expected to rule the roost in the future.

Rajat claims, “With consumers taste and preferences constantly changing, new flavours are likely to emerge relentlessly. These days, there has been a major surge in the demand for floral fusions and fruity

flavours. Florals, not only add colour to the end product, but depending on the way they are used, can add a certain texture as well flavour to the product. Fruits are popular and have been used in the process of baking for a long time. Cakes such as Fruit cakes are starting to become more popular than chocolate cakes as people opt for a healthier and sugar-free diet.”

Alex states, “In Goa toddy was considered as component that would provide the product with a nice flavour. Now, however, new products, with eco-friendly, sustainable bread mix in mind, are emerging. Fresh herbs, ancient grains, seeds and wild honey are being used as flavouring agents.”

Kamlesh is more explicit. He says, “Vanilla and saffron have been used for centuries and they became a part of the mainstream. The changing trends in the baking industry are making us revisit these natural flavours. It is an opportunity for food manufacturers to extend their product pattern with a variety of floral flavour range. This trend is flourishing all over the world, because of its elegant and accentuating natural profile. Like a flower, their flavours have to have a delicate profile and therefore, it is challenging to create stable aromatic flavours with a reasonable price bracket.

“Rose, lavender, jasmine, orange blossom, hibiscus, and elderflower are the trending flavours in bakery applications. These floral flavours can also be used in combination with other flavours to add complexity and richness to the product such as: lemonlavender; honey-rose; apricot-jasmine; etc. Floral flavours offer a distinct and graceful character in a variety of baked applications such as: cookies; cream fillings; puddings; brownies; and sponge cakes. Fruit flavours such as orange, lemon, lime, apple, plum, cherry, banana are now frequently seen in bakery products and also sometimes they are fused with berry flavours to get the amazing effect.

“The changing tastes and trends among the customer push researchers to develop new flavours.”

Packaging Since bakery products are not consumed immediately on production, it is necessary that they are packaged to ensure that the nutrients are preserved over a period of time. The gen Z, which forms the major segment of the consumers, not only want to be assured of the packaging material but also of the nutrients of the product, hence

it is necessary to inform them about the nutritional value of the product, which has to be mentioned on the packaging.

So what would be the changes in packaging in the forthcoming years?

Rajat says, “As the concern for sustainable products is growing, more and more sectors are trying to switch to recyclable products that can be easily reused or disposed of. Keeping in mind, Accor’s Planet 21 initiative, Sofitel Mumbai BKC contributes to this initiative by using more sustainable and recycled boxes and paper for packaging.” Alex too is of a similar view. He states, “It should be sustainable packing, which will also support the environment friendly nature and which will create awareness.”

Kamlesh expounds, “For years we have been known to use only card paper or

cardboard boxes. But technology today has provided several utilitarian and decorative options when it comes to packaging. Some of these are: greaseproof paper, greaseproof slip easy paper, card papers, Duplex papers and Belapuri paper. Cake boxes, pastry boxes, macaroon boxes, donuts boxes all are made from these.

“TDL (Titanium Dioxide loaded) poster paper is specially used to wrap burgers, pizzas and other fast food.

“Betel nut leaf is also a good option for packaging.”

Technology Another innovation that one is likely to see would be application technology for production as well as digitalisation like e-retailing. Alex believes that technology would be

used to control consistency and portioning

in the production process. As far as

e-retailing is concerned, he says, “Since millennial are much faster and gadget oriented who like to explore and challenge things, e-retailing will play a major role in the years to come in both segments – B to B and B to C.”

Kamlesh is of the opinion that technology would be used to make the production process easier.

As far as digitalisation is concerned, he says, “From the local bakery to the country’s largest bakery chain – all are getting digitalised. Online portals today have become a boon for all the bakery owners to display their creativity for all their products like breads, cakes, savouries, pastries and many more.

“Actually, digitalisation has saved a lot of cost which otherwise could have been spent on pamphlets, advertisements in newspapers, hoardings, advertisements agencies etc.

”Customers expect click & collect options. Many bakeries now also offer customers the chance to order items via the online store or an app – with options ranging from sandwiches to small pizzas all the way to custom-made cakes.”

Rajat adds, “Technology will play a big role in production. Many multinational companies have adopted technology to create their products, as it not only increases accuracy but also reduces manpower. Companies producing products such as chocolates and other smaller confectionery use the help of machines as it speeds up the production time as well. In contrast, hand-crafted chocolates also have their own market, as they are considered a luxury product and hence are placed under the umbrella of premium products.

“In the near future there would be an increase in the e-retailing of bakery products. This will ensure that the consumers can indulge in products of hotels and restaurants in the ease and coziness of their homes. There is an upsurge in the demand for getting food delivered on your doorstep, especially the millennials who want to get everything home delivered without any hassle. Bakery delicacies like pizzas delivered at their doorstep is the choice of not only the millenials but of people of all ages.”

Yes, trends are changing and one has to be aware and alert to these changes! n

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