Healthy affair
maranda-vandergriff-fZBwUGlKbO8-unsplash
With more and more people prioritising their health and well-being, it’s no surprise that British Bakels finds bakery will have an increasing role in helping us stay well for longer.
The wins for bakery manufacturers will be in producing health-conscious bakery products that are lower in calories, sugar, unhealthy fats, and higher in fibre, protein & other essential nutrients, making them a better choice for those who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, consumers are looking for bakery products that cater to specific dietary needs. This will call for bakery ingredients to meet the trending categories of healthy baking.
An individual with a major sweet tooth. And I don’t say “major” lightly. It’s just the way I’m wired, I’m keen to see how healthy bakery products manifest.
Unfortunately, baking healthier products that taste good is not as simple as substituting components of the recipe. After many years of trials and research, food technologists and bakers have found that producing bakes that are “gluten-free” or “low in sodium”, require high-quality emulsifiers to overcome the challenges of textures and tastes brought by the recipe changes.
The industrial baker has opportunities to fulfil the increased demands for healthier in-home and on-the-go baked goods, and inherent challenges in how to deliver them.
In desserts, people associate the word “dessert” with butter, sugar, and extra empty calories… but with healthy desserts they will have to be nutritionally beneficial and wholesome enough to be eaten on a daily basis without causing anyone to feel guilty.
The cake is usually considered to be a gastronomical delight for many food lovers. However, many calorie-conscious customers tend to look out for calorie-wise better cakes, which means cakes with lower calorie content.
Basically, these consumers seek the best value for their calories. The bakers cater to this requirement by creating far lighter cakes using innovative techniques, years of experience, and new-age equipment.
Typically, the bakers ensure that food items still taste like a slice of heaven in their customers’ mouths. For instance, meringues and cakes made with fat-less airy sponges are just what these calorie-conscious customers are looking for.
Health-focused products can attract a far higher price point leading to higher profitability.
The trends mentioned above were developing even before the onset of Covid-19. As we look ahead, the inclination towards health-focused foods will likely continue. So, in order to establish a thriving bakery business, it is essential for you to gradually include more and more health-focused food items in your bakery portfolio.
- Rodney Jack, editor, Food & Drink Technology.
Keep in touch via email: rodney@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @foodanddrinktec or LinkedIn: Food & Drink Technology magazine.
