RIDGEFIELD, NJ — Consumers want to treat their bodies right, and they want to indulge. Cookies with “free from” claims are appealing … until people ask, “What’s in it for me?” Cookie producers have to be ready — for anything — at a moment’s notice.
“The biggest requests are mostly in that ‘free from’ category,” said Greg Toufayan, president of Ridgefield, NJ-based Toufayan Bakeries. “That means free from the major allergens — egg-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, etc. — and also the all-natural and organic, also known as the ‘better for you’ category. The biggest impact on our cookie operation has been with changeovers and the time we lose changing the equipment over from something like a wheat-based product to gluten-free. It requires a lot of time to properly change over between those categories.”
Producing a variety of cookies — each with its own specifications — makes getting the processing equipment down to a “T.”
As a contract manufacturer in Versailles, KY, More Than A Bakery often contends with changeover plight for much the same reason. “We get a lot of requests for allergens as well as allergen-free products, so cleaning and validations are critical,” said Bill Quigg, president of More Than A Bakery.
Equipment cleanability is critical in terms of speed and ease of use. The job has to get done quickly and thoroughly, especially when changing over from a non-allergen product to an allergen. “The need has increased for tool-less changeovers as well as safe, easy and effective equipment cleaning,” Quigg said.
While serious advances have been made with sanitary design, Quigg challenged equipment manufacturers to dive even deeper with bakers even after events such as factory acceptance testing to truly understand the changeover and sanitation implications when dealing with a large variety of products.
Toufayan reiterated the need for quick changeover efficiency when it comes to keeping products safe from allergen cross-contamination. “We’re doing the best we can in terms of figuring out how to quickly change over from one product to another without the risk of contamination,” he said.
Cookie producers aren’t just faced with making free-from items; consumers also want to indulge in products that have benefits, too. That makes cookies with claims like high-protein in high demand as well. This can get tricky in production for allergen safety. “You could have combinations like a protein cookie that’s also gluten-free,” Toufayan said, noting that subcategories can then start to multiply.
“You can get protein from eggs, but then a customer may want a product to be free from eggs,” Toufayan explained. “And then you’re talking about another cleaning for an allergy issue in the operation.”
The trick is doing so cost-effectively, especially for co-manufacturers who are careful to not pass additional costs on to their customers.
Oftentimes, that starts with having the right R&D. San Leandro, CA-based Otis Spunkmeyer invests heavily in its R&D to create products that will disrupt the market, especially when consumption habits are evolving for both foodservice and retail.
“Instead of line extensions, Otis Spunkmeyer’s R&D department is exploring more ways to innovate in more disruptive ways with our cookie portfolios,” said Daniele Bianchini, director of marketing for Otis Spunkmeyer.
Producing a variety of cookies — each with its own specifications — makes getting the processing equipment down to a “T.”
“To truly understand how to make their equipment better, equipment designers and engineers need to be on the bakery floor, talking to operators and the people who work hard every day to operate and clean their equipment,” Quigg said.
As in most industries, having a successful operation means having solid relationships — with consumers, suppliers or even the different departments within an operation. In the cookie category, those relationships can make or break the way companies embrace innovation, which is critical, especially in the face of evolving consumer trends.