Puratos cancelled sourdough bread event due to wild fires in Napa Valley

The event, called Taste Beyond Imagination, was scheduled for October 10, 2017, at Marriot Hotel Napa Valley.

The ingredients company had invited 75 professionals from the baking industry, including top executives from Panera Bread, Kellogg and General Mills to attend.

In an email, the bakery applications developer said the hotel did not have power or internet due to the fires and conditions were generally unsafe for attendees.

However, a Purato’s spokesperson said the company would cover the accommodation expenses for people who have arrived prior to the event.

Taste Beyond Imagination was created to introduce the biodiversity and nutritional aspects of sourdough, and to showcase the processes needed to produce these artisan-style breads. Some of the key speakers scheduled were regional product manager of flavor and yeast at Puratos, David Deblauwe, and Purato’s VP of marketing, Alejandro Tovar.

The company did not immediately comment if any of its employees had been affected by the fires, nor plans to reschedule the two-day event.

A PR representative told BakeryandSnacks they have not been able to speak with anyone from Puratos since Monday.