Baking&Snack - April 2017 - 30

GMO LABELING

ence, that such foods were safe to eat and posed
no more risk than conventional foods. Such findings were on the mind of Dean Folkvord, CEO,
Wheat Montana Farms and Bakery, Three Forks,
MT, when he spoke during a panel discussion at
BakingTech 2017, the annual technical conference
of the American Society of Baking (ASB). "There
is no scientific data that says GMOs are less safe
than non-GMOs," he said. Even so, his company
educates consumers on its website about how its
baked goods are non-GMO and answers frequently asked questions about its production and farming techniques.
"People think wheat is a genetically modified
organism, even though it is not," Mr. Folkvord
said. "People still think that is the case, so it's all
about how we respond." The bakery labels all of its
products with a Non-GMO Project verified icon.
In the realm of public opinion, food companies
and their marketing departments must deal with
both perception and reality. "If the consumer believes it, then it's true whether it's scientifically

Certified-transitional crops, grown on farmland being readied for organic
production, are used by Kashi to formulate its new nutrition bars.
Kashit

true or not," said Todd Wallin, president of Ellison
Bakery, Fort Wayne, IN, during the same panel.
"They're not going to buy a product if they are
concerned about GMOs, and if they are, then you
better have a product that is labeled as Non-GMO
Project verified."
With the Washington state ballot initiative and
labeling laws that spread from Vermont throughout New England, the issue of GMOs in food
changed into a "right to know" matter.
Bioengineered ingredients have become the
fastest growing food concern as consumers increasingly prefer foods perceived as authentic and
real, according to The NPD Group. News coverage
and social media may be fueling these fears, noted
Darren Seifer, an NPD food and beverage industry
analyst. "With increasing awareness and concern,
consumers would benefit hearing from food man-

30 Baking & Snack April 2017 / www.bakingandsnack.com

North Dakota State University released Fortuna hard red spring wheat in 1966.
North Dakota State University

Why opt for single-source wheat?
Conventional milling practice blends wheat
varieties to achieve consistency that meets the
baker's specs. From many sources, uniform
performance results. For bakers wanting
closer control over sourcing of their principal
ingredient, identity-preserved flour is available, but what about single-source options?
A strict field-to-table approach for procuring flour takes traceability to the ultimate.
At Wheat Montana Farms and Bakery, Three
Forks, MT, the business grows, harvests, mills
and bakes its own wheat, using more than
100,000 lb of flour a day. According to Dean
Folkvord, CEO, the farm's hard white variety
designated for the bakery is grown at high
elevation (above 5,000 ft) under limited moisture conditions and yields high-protein flours.
One of the farm's varieties, Fortuna hard
red spring wheat, attracted the attention of
La Brea Bakery, a division of ARYZTA based
at Los Angeles. The bakery contracts directly
with Wheat Montana Farms for Fortuna flour
to bake its La Brea Reserve line of breads.
"From using heirloom grains sourced
from a family-operated farm to our 24-hour,
hand-touched baking method, La Brea Bakery
bread is bread baked right," said Kristina
Dermody, president. "Our customers value
our level of transparency and our commitment to sourcing responsibly and supporting
farmers who are growing sustainable food.
Our breads have always been healthy, but the
game changer for La Brea Bakery is that no
one in the artisan bread community has ever
sourced ingredients at this scale."
Wheat Montana Farms has plans to expand
its spectrum of unique wheats. "We're looking at a French variety, lost to commercial
growing about 300 years ago," Mr. Folkvord
said. "We are looking to grow it in Montana.
It has a unique flavor and story behind it."
Consumers translate these into a perception
of a better-tasting loaf of bread, he observed.

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Baking&Snack - April 2017

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