Attendees met with baking experts on healthful baking topics during the round robin session.

In a tough economy, bakers are looking for ways to offer what consumers want, and healthful foods continue to be a growing trend. Healthy Baking Seminar West (HBS), held last month in Anaheim, Calif., provided nearly 120 bakers, researchers and technicians with the latest studies and developments in this market. Several ingredient suppliers were on hand as well to discuss ingredient alternatives with attendees as they took a break from the presentations.

New to HBS this year were round robin breakout sessions. Attendees were able to circulate among several tables with each table featuring a question and answer format presided over by an expert on the topic. Some of the most popular topics included organic/natural, whole wheat/specialty flours and gluten-free/allergen concerns.

Paula Frank, chief editor of Baking Management, presented the American Dietetic Association's findings on its study of consumer attitudes and trends on food and nutrition. Since 1991, the association has surveyed consumers regularly and the latest survey was conducted from February to March 2008. Some of the findings included:

• The importance of diet increases as Americans age or are more highly educated

• The importance of exercise increases with age

• On a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being little knowledge), Americans have the most knowledge of low-fat (4.2) and the least knowledge of probiotics (1.9)

• In the last five years, Americans have increased consumption of low-fat foods by 48 percent, low carb foods by 27 percent and allergen-free foods by 8 percent

Reduce ‘bad’ fats in bakery products

Rajen Mehta, director of fiber applications for SunOpta, presented the health benefits of fiber in bakery foods, which include decreased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. When formulating products with fiber, bakers have to balance the following parameters: regulatory requirements, composition, production process and cost/availability of ingredients, with the most important being the production process. The final product has to taste good, Mehta advised. For successful formulation, bakers most likely will have to use a combination of fibers.

Wholesome ingredients for vibrant living

HBS also addressed products' nutritional labeling. Brittny Bird, a registered dietitian for Great Harvest Franchising Inc., suggested bakers label their products because customers want to know about ingredients, and the labels can be great marketing even for retail bakeries. All labels must contain a statement of identity (what the product is), net weight, ingredient list with the ingredients listed from greatest weight to least, allergens list and the manufacturer with contact information.

Out with the new, in with the old

Klaus Tenbergen, Culinology program director for California State University-Fresno, ended the day with a demonstration session on ingredient innovations. He addressed formulating with raisin paste, rice protein, lupin flour and soybean shortening and oil.

Go all natural

The next HBS will be held Sept. 23 during Natural Products Expo East in Boston. For more information about the upcoming event, visit www.bakingconferences.com.

• Better bakery products begin with better ingredients, and from idea to launch, Cargill has the knowledge, capabilities and ingredients you need to create winning bakery products that delight customers. Some of the ingredients showcased at the Healthy Baking Seminar included Clear Valley® oils and shortenings that offer superior performance and better nutrition. This full line of trans solution oils and shortenings delivers zero grams of trans fat per serving and low levels of saturated fats — without sacrificing flavor or performance. If your goal is to remove trans fat, reduce saturated fats or simply get a better flavor or performance, Clear Valley is the clear choice. Call Cargill at 800/323-6232. www.cargill.com