Armin Juncker: “Quality makes a strong argument again”

Quality makes a strong argument again

Armin Juncker, Chief Executive of the Association of German Plant Bakeries, shares his views on the impact caused by COVID-19, topics on the table at AIBI and the question of enzyme labeling.

+bbi: Europe seems to have at least put the worst phase of the pandemic behind it. What conclusions have the German plant bakers drawn thus far? Juncker: The spring of 2020, which saw the first region-wide restaurant and shop closures, also caused enormous disruption in Germany’s bread and baked goods industry. Hoarding purchases, as reported in other industries, also occurred in bread and baked goods. As a result, many large bakeries reduced their range of products and only supplied a basic assortment for a period of several weeks. By doing this, they ensured that the bread shelves in discount stores and grocery stores were not completely sold out. Although customers avoided purchasing unpackaged bakery products from the bake-off sections for an extended period of time, sales of packed bread from the bread shelf and freezer have remained stable. At the time of writing this, the ‘unpackaged’ sector has yet to return to 2019 levels. The same is true for companies located in high-frequency settings such as airports and train stations, as well as burger bun suppliers, for example. The catering sector is also suffering from the still restricted business operations in canteens and restaurants. However, the bottom line from the industry’s point of view is that bakeries have been able to weather this crisis pretty well overall. As indirect consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be longer-term changes in consumer behavior, which will by no means only affect the bread sector, but also the entire food sector. Digitalization and online ordering options will ‘pick up speed’ and as bakers, we will have to see how we get our baguettes into the lunch packages of Lieferando & Co. Another change in consumer behavior will result from the fact that the crisis has sharpened the view of the importance of basic foodstuffs in particular. Empty shelves in the supermarket or the bakery were unknown to all of us and literally unimaginable. Customers will once again use quality as an argument for their purchasing decisions, because it has become clear how important ‘plain bread’ is! bbi: What are colleagues from other national associations reporting to AIBI? Juncker: The impact on the bread and bakery market was quite comparable in other European countries. Overall, bread consumption declined in the COVID-19 year 2020, for example by 3% in Belgium and by 5% in the Netherlands. However, the development of packaged bread is positive and small artisan bakeries supplying the local markets have also been able to hold their own, because apparently customers have placed a great deal of trust in the products. t bbi: What topics are currently on AIBI’s agenda? Juncker: AIBI has traditionally been very interested in all food law processes which, as is well known, have their starting point or at least have an important promoter at European level. For this purpose, AIBI set up a Technical Committee some time ago, in which the experts of all AIBI member associations work on food law issues. The chairman of this committee is Alexander Meyer-Kretschmer from the German association. Some of the topics currently being dealt with can be found in the answers below. In addition, AIBI follows the economic and legal developments of the markets, which are located in particular in Southeastern and Eastern Europe. The changes in food supply that can be observed there and the changes in the bakery markets, in particular, are directing interest to these markets. Unfortunately, the legal framework conditions for market entry or even for investments are often still unclear at present. The ambitious ‘Green Deal’ agenda set by the von der Leyen Commission is triggering a number of important discussions. ‘From farm to fork’ captures the increasing importance of environmental, ethical and social aspects. The sustainability of the food chain is high on the EU agenda and, therefore, also on AIBI’s agenda. AIBI was one of the selected organizations that actively participated in the multi-stakeholder process, from primary production to the consumer. AIBI has been involved in tackling the food loss issue for many years and is a member of the relevant EU platform.

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e r m a n Pl ant Bakeries G f o Armin Juncker

Customers will once again use quality more as an argument for their purchasing decisions, because it has become clear how important a 'plain loaf' is! Armin Juncker, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of German Plant Bakeries

bbi: In an RDI project, scientists are researching the ‘residual activity and functionality of exogenous enzymes in baked goods (such as amylases, xylanases, lipases and glucose oxidases). What consequences do you expect for baked goods manufacturers? Juncker: After many years of the firm scientific assumption and in practice that enzymes do not ‘survive’ the baking process that bread and baked goods regularly undergo, i.e. that they lose their enzymatic activity, there are now confirmed findings that this is not completely true in every case. Small amounts of residual activity may be present. The addition of exogenous enzymes is often necessary to balance and improve the activity of endogenous enzymes, i.e. those that occur naturally in wheat flour and yeast, for example. This technological necessity is one of the initial approval requirements for enzymes. Therefore, our association supports the RDI project which aims to further clarify these factual issues. If it turns out that there are also enzymatic activities after the baking process, the question of labeling has to be addressed. In the case of the required transparency and consumer information, we consider corresponding labeling to be absolutely appropriate in such a case.

ADVERTISEMENT bbi: What is the current status of acrylamide research? A new RDI project is supposedly being launched – why and with what aim? Juncker: In all food sectors where products have elevated acrylamide levels, considerable progress has already been made in recent years towards reducing these levels. As you know, this also includes the bakery sector. However, these efforts must be continued and therefore it is necessary to push for carrying out the corresponding research. The plant bakeries that are members of our association are therefore very open to a corresponding RDI project and other research activities.

bbi: There are proposals at the EU level to define limit values for prussic acid, morphine and cadmium (in poppy seeds). Does this mean that there will be consequences for the bakery industry, especially for the manufacturers of fine bakery and patisserie products? Juncker: Currently, no problems have been reported with the limit values discussed in the draft by raw material suppliers, especially those of linseed and almonds, so there are no direct effects on processing in a bakery. However, if such limit values were to be enacted, this would obviously mean,

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that the analysis work to be carried out by the raw material suppliers and possibly also by the bakeries would increase significantly.

bbi: Additives are once again in the spotlight. Retail groups in France are even planning a ban on various substances in the products they trade. What exactly is at stake here and what is the German industry's position on this? Juncker: It is a great EU achievement that there is intensive harmonization in the area of food law for the European market. This not only benefits consumers, but also producers, who are increasingly working not just for a single national market, but for several markets. Against this background, we do not believe that it is the right approach for individual EU member states, such as France, to pursue a separate path for certain additives. This applies, for example, to uno- and diglycerides of fatty acids, which are used as emulsifiers in bakery products. From the point of view of German plant bakeries, there is nothing to prevent the use of these additives. They are technologically highly effective and help in the production of high-quality baked goods demanded by customers. The discussion is therefore not sparked by nutritional reasons, but primarily by political considerations.

bbi: The fumigation of sesame, spices, amaranth, guar, psyllium with ethylene oxide and di-chloroethanol has not been permitted in the EU since 1979; the USA and Canada still permit it with a limit value. However, it is partly used for container fumigation. Does this represent a problem indirectly? Juncker: The fumigation of certain additives with ethylene oxide (ETO) and di-chloroethanol, which is permitted in some non-European countries, is causing not only ‘indirect problems’ but massive direct difficulties throughout the European baking market, i.e. not only in Germany. Since the beginning of 2021, there have been more than 150 rapid warnings on this subject throughout Europe and also numerous recalls. The recalls regularly took place because the presence of ETO was detectable in the raw materials used, although ETO could no longer be detected in the end product. In this context, too, a clear European guideline for action makes a great deal of sense, because current practice leads to recalls and food being destroyed, which results in avoidable food waste. This is reported, for example, by our colleagues from the Belgian Bread Association. Therefore, in Belgium, the food sector (FEVIA) is calling for this very strict interpretation to be reviewed after the Corona crisis at the very latest.

bbi: A representative of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Agriculture recently explained in a lecture that the soil quality in Austria is declining due to climate change and that cereals are not coping very well with the temperature rise. He also said that the EU’s Green Deal and the nitrate inputs it requires would mean that wheat would be less rich in protein in the future. Are there similar expectations for Germany? Juncker: The grain supply produced in Germany is changing and with it, for example, the protein content of bread wheat. This development has been monitored by the plant bakeries in their own laboratories or with external laboratory support for some time and countermeasures are being taken including changing the recipe and/or the baking process as far as possible. However, this topic is also being intensively pursued in breeding farms, in agriculture and the milling industry.

bbi: Are changes to the labeling law under discussion within the EU? Juncker: The labelling law does not stand still. Countless departments and institutions on a national and European level are constantly working on optimizing labeling issues. This optimization does not always follow scientific findings, but, more often than not political considerations, such as the idea of transparency. From the manufacturer’s point of view, however, plant bakeries traditionally have no relevant problem with this.

bbi: Mr Juncker, thank you very much for the interview.

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