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Indian bakery confectionary industry: Blind leading the blind
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Tuesday, 23 March, 2021, 14 : 00 PM [IST]
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Gauri Varma
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The Bakery industry is one of the largest segments of India's food processing sector. The growth of an industry also brings its own challenges. There are many challenges and difficulties that are faced by the bakery confectionary industry. The bakery industry is one that has been neglected for decades, it's always the more shiny options like resto- bars which are in the spotlight- solely due to the fact that they shine bigger and brighter. Often daily needs are side tracked and taken as a given.
Today Indian bakers have to meet the challenges to move forward. With the growing numbers of modern retailers in the cities, malls, supermarket shopping culture, food courts, bakery cafes etc., the choice of fillings, exotic vegetables and fruits are now on the breakfast table.The present day bakery industry has gone through a sea change in the range of bakery products and confectioneries, the varieties of ingredients and raw materials used and also the production methods adapted.
Within food and beverage, the bakery sector is the most unorganised sector in this country - the laws, law makers, food technicians don't have much knowledge about the trend and the products that are needed for the growth of the industry.
From Increasing sufficient capacity to meet the new age demands. To meet the demand for healthier food, bakery stores or shops need to invest in making the facilities more hygienic and also hiring new people with knowledge of such products. Food Hygiene is also an important factor that is lacking in this sector as 99 per cent of most of the bakery decorative items are imported and more so without sufficient knowledge traders/importers get a subsidised standard of quality which is harmful for consumption in the long run.
Most readers and resellers are selling non edibles products as edibles - these can be a vary of colours, powder colours, metallic dusts, gold/silver leaves, sprinkles - bottom line is these are toxic and in order to meet the price they are being sourced from industries like stone/tile manufacturing and paint industrial for non edible products.
The rapid increase in the demand for fortified items such as fibre, antioxidants, omega-3 oils, and vitamin and mineral fortifications also pose new challenges for the industry. With the addition of inclusions to baked products that require modifications to the original product formula, thus creating a new product from an existing one.
These kinds of modification can be challenging to bakers as changes in formulation may result in the need for changes to equipment, processes and ingredient costs. With the growing years, this sector needs more training institutes which can produce skilled workers who are knowledgeable not only about the trade but are also competent in implementing the food safety and hygiene standard and requirements prescribed in the food laws of the country.
With the growing modern technologies, the innovation of new products are another big challenge for industry in view of increasing competition in the market. We also need to address and increase awareness about the digital technologies and convenience of social media platforms that can help bakeries in the unorganised sector reach a wider market.
Bakery machinery and equipment which are modern are clearly the result of innovations and constant research that have revolutionised the industry. These are the reasons that if someone wants to survive in the midst of cut throat competition, it is important to adapt to the changing trends.
In this blind leading the blind scenario - someone has to hold the torch and light the way forward.
(The author is owner and founder of G's Patisserie and Confect)
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