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Competition Authority of Kenya raises red flag on bread makers issuing misleading information to consumers

May 24, 2021May 24, 2021 Editor

KENYA – Bread manufacturers in Kenya are on the radar of the Competition Authority of Kenya, after the authority found that some bakers are not meeting the provisions of the Competitions Act and other relevant standards. In pursuant to its consumer protection mandate, CAK undertook investigations targeting bread manufacturers in the country. In a statement containing findings from the investigations, the competition regulator has established unfair and misleading market conduct by some actors. CAK revealed that some of the bakers were not providing the manufacturing date/month on their bread wrappers…

Irish bakers latest casualty of Brexit trade deal as new tarrifs cause rise in product costs

Jan 29, 2021Jan 29, 2021 Editor

UK – The UK’s new Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) with the EU is resulting in additional tariffs being applied to Irish flour imports. The new deal stipulates that if the wheat used to make flour is more than 15% of third country origin, the full tariff of €172 (US$209) per metric ton becomes payable. According to projections from the The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), the full tariff per metric ton on imported flour would equate to a 9 percent consumer price increase in bread. Ireland currently imports…

Granalo divests its Pandea baked goods unit to focus on dairy market

Oct 24, 2020Oct 24, 2020 Editor

ITALY – Italian dairy company Granarolo has sold its Pandea baked goods unit to local bread maker Morato Pane, in an effort to refocus on the Italian dairy market. Pandea, which has operated in Parma since 1946, was acquired by Granarolo through a bankruptcy auction in 2016. It specialises in the production and sale of baked goods and gluten-free products. The unit recorded turnover of €12m in 2019, of which over €10m came from exports, specifically in France and the UK. “This operation is part of the new business plan,…

Ethiopian agro-allied firm Horizon starts operations at its US$26m bread and flour factory

Jun 9, 2020Jun 26, 2020 Editor

ETHIOPIA – Ethiopian agro-processing venture company, Horizon Plantations Plc is set to commence operations at its 900 million Br (US$26m) state of the art Sheger Bread & Flour factory. The newly built factory resting on 4.1 ha has a processing capacity of 1.6 million loaves of bread a day/80,000 an hour. Construction of the bakery commenced in August last year and it is furnished with automated machinery for both the bread and flour processing, imported from Italy. It has four silos each with a storage capacity of 30,000 quintals (3,000 tonnes)…

Namib Mills invests US$9.2m in a new bakery to expand production capacity

Oct 30, 2019Oct 30, 2019 Editor

NAMIBIA – Namib Mills Ltd, the largest grain processing company in Namibia has opened a new state-of-the-art bakery plant, situated North Windhoek worth N$134.6m (US$9.2m). The plant has enabled the company to expand its processing capacity with the launch of a new brand of bread, Bakpro Superior Loaves, as it seeks to cement its market share in the country’s bakery sector. The new plant referred to as travelling plant employs world class-technology and it is automated, running the entire process of mixing, fermenting, baking and packaging. Despite the baking process…

Zimbabwe bakers fault lack of forex as bread shortage & prices shoot

Feb 5, 2019Feb 5, 2019 Editor

ZIMBABWE – The National Bakers’ Association of Zimbabwe has attributed bread shortage in the market to lack of foreign currency which has hampered importation of wheat to support the industry, reports The Herald. Mr Ngoni Mazango, the association’s president, said that bread supplies in the country have in the past two weeks declined drastically leading to shortages of the product on the market. Mr Mazongo, however, said that they have applied to the government for supply of foreign currency to facilitate purchase of wheat in the sector. “The Government has…

Millers and packaging manufacturers deliberate mealie prices on high packaging costs

Nov 6, 2018Nov 6, 2018 Editor

ZIMBABWE – Millers and packaging manufacturers are seeking to reach a consensus on mealie prices following an increase in the cost of packaging by over 500%. According to the Herald, the decision by manufacturers of packaging for mealie meal and bread to more than double their prices could see the prices of mealie meal going up from the current average price of US$5.50 for 10kg of roller meal. This comes even as Zimbabwe is struggling to recover from a long time forex crunch which has made it difficult for business…

DSM launches an enzyme that allows bakers to reduce ascorbic acid in bread

Jun 29, 2018 Editor

NETHERLANDS – Royal DSM has launched a new enzyme called BakeZyme AAA that allows bakers to reduce the level of ascorbic acid in their recipes while not compromising on flavor and texture. This is an addition to its range of BakeZyme enzymes portfolio used in various applications including brewing, baking, fruit processing, dairy, oils & fats and confectionery. DSM said it provides ascorbic acid and baking enzymes to the baking industry in addition to helping manufacturers keep costs under control while maintaining performance and sustainability. BakeZyme AAA, when used with…

Zimbabwe could face a bread shortage again, says grain millers

Jun 27, 2018 Editor

ZIMBABWE – The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe through its spokesperson Garikai Chaunza has announced that the country could in the near future face a bread shortage as it is left with only a week’s supply of wheat. The Association has written to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe requesting for more funds for the outstanding payment of wheat imports. The written statement reveals that the millers were asking for US$20 million from the bank and that the supply of wheat remaining was 36‚749 tonnes. Government of Zimbabwe has been put…

Finnish baker introduces insect bread to grocery stores

Nov 30, 2017 Editor

FINLAND – Fazer, a family-owned company offering bakery, confectionery, biscuit and grain products as well as food and café service has introduced insect bread to grocery stores, for the first time in the market. According to the company, the novel product, called Fazer Sirkkaleipä (Fazer Cricket Bread), is the first hand-baked cricket bread. The company has been developing insect bread to be included in its assortment of in-store bakeries since the summer, The ban on selling insects as food in Finland was removed on 1 November 2017. “We wanted to…