Lesaffre Optimistic About the Region after Successful Gulfood Manufacturing Showcase

As curtains came down at the Gulfood Manufacturing showpiece, regional food processors and manufacturers were upbeat about the industry’s performance and growth, which are mainly driven by a ballooning appetite for healthier options, safer products and efficient food production processes.

According to Gulfood Manufacturing, emerging trends that have been instrumental in the growth of the industry include food safety, which accounts for 47 percent and the increased use of natural ingredients in food manufacturing, with 36 percent.

Other notable trends include cost-cutting tech innovations with nine percent and sustainable food processing with eight percent.

Speaking to visitors at the Lesaffre stand while unveiling two of its revamped products - Saf-Instant and the 2in1 sourdough solution, Stéphan Béague, global brand and marketing content manager, Lesaffre International, noted that these trends, coupled with ever-evolving consumer preferences are largely expected to bolster the regional baked goods segment’s growth.

“The local baked goods segment is experiencing a shift, which is driven primarily by emerging trends and widening consumer needs. As a key global player in the field of yeast and fermentation products, Lesaffre is constantly engaging with bakers to ensure that they get the right ingredients to produce healthier, safer and tastier baked food,” said Béague.

New bakers’ facility                                                           

Lesaffre’s announcement of its upcoming ultra-modern baking facility and a new sales office in Dubai also got bakers in the region excited with a section of the visitors who thronged the yeast and fermentation expert’s stand terming it as a much-needed boost for the industry.

The new facility, which will train and equip professional bakers with modern skills, is set to be operational by early 2020. 

“We are excited to be opening a one-of-a-kind baking center in the region. Having monitored the market for a while, it was clear that the baked goods segment needed a facility where professional bakers could acquire new skills to ensure that they are able to produce quality foods that meet the consumers’ demands,” said Béague.

The Lesaffre baking center will be the 47th facility worldwide and is expected to train over 500 professionals per year with 300 of them being specially trained in Saf-instant and other key products. The facility will also train local sales teams of distributors.

Making bakers’ life easier

And as competition in the baked goods segment intensifies, bakers in the region are optimistic that the newly introduced Saf-instant will now enable them to reinforce their product offering, which will also help them compete favourably in the highly-competitive market.

Introducing its wide array of innovations at the just concluded international food manufacturing and processing fair, Lesaffre’s new Saf-instant is now poised to make life easier for bakers in the region.

The newly revamped product is expected to provide yeasts of the highest quality, which according to Béague, will, in turn, enable the professionals to deal with the emerging challenges.