Philibert Savours CEO: Organic cuts my world in two

The French bakery ingredients firm launched five new Campasine bread mix varieties at Europain 2014 in Paris this week. The original mix will be joined by organic, cereal, citrus, wholemeal, and mushroom & duck fat variations. The mixes are developed using a natural fermentation process using a mother dough, wheat and buckwheat flour. 

The organic approach  ​

Commenting on the organic product, CEO Pascal Philibert told BakeryandSnacks.com: “Maybe it’s a market where there are still value-added possibilities.”​

However he added that this kind of product appeals primarily to consumers and markets fortunate enough to be able to afford organic. “On the one hand it’s interesting for the people who have enough money. Unfortunately, it’s the reason why my world is cut in two: for one part it’s very good but for the other it’s too expensive,”​ he said.

He said this represented a truth of doing business. “I think organic is much closer to my philosophy of life. But unfortunately there is the truth of the business. The truth is you have to find enough food for everybody.”​

Producing organic breads “respects the Earth more”​, he said, adding the fermentation is also better, meaning the taste and appearance of the end product is different.

He said this variety was likely to appeal to Northern European countries as well as the US and Canada. “And it is starting to have some potential in South America and maybe Japan; they have enough money. For the moment it’s too early for Russia,”​ he said.  

Philibert said the organic bread mix will soon be supported by an origin label professing a 100% French guarantee. This will be announced officially at the Brazilian trade show, Fipan, in July.

Sweet bread and nutrition​

As part of the range, the company has introduced a citrus blend of orange and lemon. Philibert said sweet breads were forming an important part of the market. “Many countries like soft bread and soft breads always contain some sugar or fat. When you add some fruits – which contain a lot of sugar – crusty bread becomes closer to soft bread.”​

He said this addition changed the fermentation process, making the crust thinner. He said this would appeal to younger consumers and more generally to the US market were taste preferences tended to be sweeter.

The wholemeal bread, marketed for its nutritional profile, could do best outside of Europe, he suggested. Adding that consumers in countries like America have a heavier "conscience"​ when it comes to nutrition and watching their weight and would therefore be drawn towards this kind of product.

He said this issue of obesity in the US and South America would drive interest in nutritional breads, but said it was not necessarily about presenting these products in weight loss terms. “It’s not to lose weight but it’s something that has fewer calories and is better for the health.”​

He said there was an increasing shift from governments and policy makers in these countries towards tackling obesity through the food industry and its products, leading manufacturers to seek out nutritional, lower-calorie ingredients.