Baking & Snack - June 2015 - 16

Weston invests big in baking
Executives at George Weston Ltd., Toronto, said earlier this year
that significant investments in capital would have an adverse effect on operating income in its Weston Foods business during
fiscal 2015. That outlook rang true in first-quarter results issued
in May revealing declines at a double-digit rate.
In a conference call with analysts, Pavi Binning, president of
George Weston, highlighted a few areas of interest to the grainbased foods industry.
"We are building a new cake facility in Indianapolis," Mr.
Binning said. "There's a line that's going to be coming up in the
next three or four weeks."
The facility, part of Maplehurst Bakeries, a division of Weston
Foods, was expected to be operational in March. Weston invested

more than $77 million to renovate and equip the 180,000-sq-ft
facility in Lebanon, IN. The facility will house the company's
warehouse, distribution and manufacturing operations for its
cake and cupcake products.
"We're investing in crackers at our Front Royal [VA] facility,"
Mr. Binning said. "I expect that to be up towards the end of the
first quarter. And then also, we're investing in cookies. We just
got some capacity up and running at our Kitchener [ON] facility,
and also we're working on North Sioux City [SD]. [These are]
different businesses, [and] the capacity is coming on at different
points in time. [The work] will be through the second quarter for
the balance of the year."
- Eric Schroeder, Milling & Baking News

BBU completes initial Energy Star Challenge
Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU), Horsham, PA, recently completed the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Energy Star Challenge
for Industry at six of its bakeries, with an average of 17% energy
reduction per plant in the past year. In addition to these six bakeries, BBU's remaining plants are participating in the challenge, saving enough energy to power 330,350 households for a year. With
a total of 59 facilities, BBU operates more than half of the bakeries
currently participating in the Energy Star Challenge.
"BBU is committed to promoting energy efficiency, preventing pollution, protecting the environment and saving money on
energy costs," said Jim McKeown, director of sustainability for
Grupo Bimbo and BBU. "As a member of the American Bakers
Association (ABA), we saw an opportunity to get involved in a program that can benefit our industry and reduce greenhouse gases."
BBU's Frederick, MD, plant was honored by EPA and ABA for
being the first facility in the baking industry to complete the EPA
Energy Star Challenge for Industry. The other five BBU bakeries
that also finished the project are located in Houston; Topeka, KS;
Placentia, CA.; Norristown, PA; and Bay Shore, NY.

"We are pleased to recognize BBU's achievement of
the Energy Star Challenge
for Industry at the first
six bakeries in the US," said
Jean Lupinacci, acting director of EPA's Climate Protection
Partnership Division. "This accomplishment demonstrates the important role energy management and
efficiency plays in realizing sustainability
objectives of protecting the environment
and strengthening the bottom line."
Walt Tunnessen, national program manager for EPA's Energy
Star Industrial Program, added, "BBU is a leader in Energy Star's
Commercial Baking Sector. It joins a select group of companies
with multiple plants that have achieved the challenge. By improving the energy performance at these bakeries, BBU has reduced its
carbon foot print by over 45,000 metric tons."

Panera rolls out 'no no list'
Panera Bread is the latest company to jump on the clean-label bandwagon. In May, the St. Louis-based company published its "No No
List" of ingredients that will not be used to formulate its products.
"We are not scientists," said Ron Shaich, founder and CEO. "We
are people who know and love food and who believe that the journey
to better food starts with simpler ingredients. And to turn that belief into meaningful action, we consulted third-party scientists and
experts to compile a list of common artificial additives that we are
going to do without.
"Simplifying our pantry is essential to our vision, but it is not an
end point. "We want to be an ally for wellness for the millions of
guests we serve each week."
Some ingredients on the chain's No No List include acesulfame

16 Baking & Snack June 2015 / www.bakingandsnack.com

K, autolyzed yeast extract, highfructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, microparticulated whey
protein concentrate and others.
The company's goal is to remove the ingredients on the list
from the formulation of its menu
items by the end of 2016.
Panera Bread estimated 85% of the menu items reformulated
without the ingredients on its list are in test or have been rolled out
nationally. Reworked items will continue to be introduced in advance of the 2016 deadline, according to the company.
- Keith Nunes, Food Business News

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Baking & Snack - June 2015

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