Milling & Baking News - August 5, 2014 - 9

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Following lab testing, Schwebel
resumes production at Youngstown
YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO - Full production at Schwebel Baking Co.'s
Youngstown facility resumed July 24 after an independent, certified laboratory
confirmed on July 23 that the species of
Listeria found in the bakery was not the
type that poses a risk to public health.
Schwebel on July 22 issued a voluntary market recall of certain products baked at the Youngstown plant,
prompted by the discovery of Listeria during a planned, internal
environmental audit of
the plant.
Listeria is a genus of
bacteria that includes 10
different strains, most of
which are benign. A spokesperson for the company
denied a published news
report July 22 definitively
identifying the strain found at
Youngstown as Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes is the
strain associated with listeriosis, a

potentially lethal foodborne infection.
"We haven't identified the strain yet,"
Vince Bevacqua of Schwebel said at the
time.
Paul Schwebel, president of
Schwebel Baking, said the company
alerted the Food and Drug Administration of the potential problem immediately after the discovery and
placed all product prepared for shipment on hold. None of Schwebel's
other baking plants are affected.
The following day, an independent,
certified laboratory confirmed that
the strain of Listeria found within
the Schwebel bakery facility was
not Listeria monocytogenes.
According to the company, products from the
plant are shipped to retail, food service and
institutional customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, New
York, Michigan, West

Maker of European-style bread to
expand capacity in New Jersey
VINELAND, N.J. - Bridor, Inc., a manufacturer of European bread and Viennese
pastry for the retail and food service industry, plans to expand its U.S. facility
in Vineland to 183,000 square feet from
136,000 square feet. The move will allow
the company to expand its laminated
pastry dough and flaky croissant capacity. The plant will continue to produce

Bridor's line of baquettes, bread and rolls.
The number of employees in Vineland
will increase to 177 from 132.
"This expansion represents our deep
commitment to our U.S. customers and
significantly enhances what we can offer them," said Jean-François Duquesne,
chief executive officer of Bridor, Inc. and
Bridor USA Inc. "We pride ourselves on

GrainCorp acquires equity stake
in leading Egyptian flour miller
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - GrainCorp
has purchased a 10% equity stake in
Egyptian flour miller Five Star Flour
Mills, one of Egypt's leading flour
millers with 30 specialized and ready
mixed products. The transaction is
valued at A$10 million ($9.4 million)
and will be funded from existing cash
reserves, GrainCorp said. The stake
gives GrainCorp a right to appoint a
director to Five Star's board.
Don Taylor, executive chairman
and interim chief executive officer for
GrainCorp, said there is a strong strategic rationale for building its relationship with Five Star.
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

"We have been working in close
partnership with the management
team at Five Star Flour Mills for a
number of years, and have been in discussions for some time about how we
can strengthen our relationship for the
benefit of both our companies and the
growers who use our network," Mr.
Taylor said.
Five Star Flour Mills was established
in 1995 as a joint venture between a
group of Egyptian and foreign investors. The company commissioned its
first fully-computerized flour mill
with production capacity of 450 tons
per day in late 1998. An expansion in

Business

Virginia and Kentucky. In addition to
its Youngstown plant, Schwebel operates baking plants in Hebron and
Solon, Ohio.
"We appreciate and understand the
general public's concerns regarding
our decision to withdraw products,"
Mr. Schwebel said. "We also recognize
the impact this withdrawal had on our
commercial and institutional customers. The company voluntarily and proactively took these actions because the
integrity of our product is paramount.
This is a commitment from which we
have not wavered in the 108 year history of our company. We have and will
continue to keep the safety of our consumers and the quality of our products
at the forefront of our family business."
While testing showed no evidence
of Listeria in the withdrawn products,
Schwebel said it would continue to
honor any consumer returns of products
produced at the Youngstown facility
prior to July 22. This decision has been
made as a courtesy to customers and
with the intent to not confuse those who
already had planned to participate in the
return program, Schwebel said. MBN
being an industrial baking company
that combines advanced manufacturing technology with traditional European baking techniques. This enables
us to produce on a large scale the highest quality, authentic European pastry
and breads in the world."
Bridor USA Inc. is a subsidiary of
Bridor, Inc., which is based in France
and has specialized in bringing European baked goods and artisan techniques to the North American market
for 30 years. MBN
production capacity up to 1,000 tons
per day ensued by operation of the
second milling line in 1999. In 2001,
the third milling line started operation
with a production capacity of 250 tons
per day, making it the largest flour mill
in Egypt with a gross daily production
of 1,250 tons per day. Bühler installed
the milling lines for the company
and equipped them with the most
advanced flour milling technology
available. Ready-mixes and household
flour also may be produced from a
stand-alone mixing plant.
Five Star also owns a dedicated
port at Adabiya port in Suez with a
grain unloader capable of processing
600 tonnes per hour from Panamax
size vessels and grain silos with storage capacity of 125,000 tonnes. MBN
Milling & Baking News August 5, 2014 / 9

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Milling & Baking News - August 5, 2014

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