Baking&Snack - June 2014 - 46

Gluten-free brings challenge, opportunity
No argument about it, the current health trend with the
biggest impact on the baking industry is gluten-free.
"Gluten-free and low-carb trends always have a negative effect on bagel sales and bread in general, said Greg
"
Linzer, sales and marketing manager, Western Bagel.
While the weight-loss side of the gluten-free trend may
be a passing fancy, the millions of people diagnosed with
celiac disease or a legitimate gluten allergy point to a
trend with staying power. While bakers have successfully
produced gluten-free sandwich bread and are now expanding those gluten-free offerings to include more variety,
some categories continue to puzzle formulators as how to
remove gluten and maintain taste.
Joe Latouf, executive vice-president, Harlan Bakeries,
sees the challenge of a good-tasting gluten-free bagel
as an opportunity. "As probably the single largest bagel
manufacturer in the country, we feel a responsibility to our
customers, he said of the gluten-free need. "The [gluten"
free bagels] out there today don't taste very good. We're
working on that. We don't have a product to show anyone
yet, but we should have one soon. At this point, it's an issue that seems to resonate with the American consumer.
"

Addressing nutrition concerns
The main drain on bagel sales today is the health trend
sweeping the entire food industry as the bagel is packed
with carbs and calories, two words consumers shy away
from these days.
To combat this image and quiet consumers' fears,
bakers have succumbed to pressure to shrink the bagel. Where a traditional New York-style bagel originally
weighed in at 5 oz, most current bagels now weigh 4 oz.
Other bakers have taken the shrink solution even fur-

46 Baking & Snack June 2014 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Despite recent flat sales, bagel producers have plenty of opportunities for
potential growth as varied as their product itself. Now it's a matter of finding
which one will be the most beneficial.
Always Bagels

ther by creating bagel thins and mini bagels.
Always Bagels' junior bagel, a 2-oz product, has found
success meeting the demands of school cafeterias. While
school lunch programs struggle to meet new whole grain
content requirements and the picky tastes of students,
Always Bagels offers a bagel half the size of normal bagels. Outside of schools, these smaller varieties also meet
consumers' growing need for grab-and-go breakfast and
snack options.
While shrinking the massive product's size may address issues of carbs and calories, it doesn't address consumers' concerns over ingredients and nutritional value.
Harlan offers consumers a high fiber, low carb bagel
that appeals to those who are cautious about what they
eat. "Our Carb Check Bagel is a unique item that has developed a passionate following around the country," Mr.
Latouf said.
Clean-label, GMO-free, gluten-free and sprouted
grains all have wiggled their way into the bagel category
as opportunities disguised as challenges. While formulators continue the fight to develop a tasty gluten-free bagel, sprouted grains are providing a halo of health to the
wheat-dense product in a wheat-hostile world. Panera
Bread Co., St. Louis, introduced sprouted grain bread
products, including bagels, to its menu, making it one
of the first restaurant chains to do so, according to Tom
Gumpel, the company's head baker.
"Sprouted grains are a good source of fiber and rich
in taste," Mr. Gumpel said. "This is another nutritious
whole grain that Panera is making accessible to its customers in popular bagel form. It's an incredible step

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