November n 7. the soufflet group partners. culture. sourdoughs: the ingredients for success.

Transcription

1 n 7 November 2013 the soufflet group partners ingrainmagazine culture sourdoughs: the ingredients for success

2 index raw materials structured Products assured futur Grain chain successful policies, policies for success editorial Being in control of our future Jean-Michel Soufflet Chairman of the Management Board raw materials Structured products, assured future by Didier Navarre, Sales Manager - User Industry, Moulins Soufflet, and Guillaume Couture, Assistant Sales Manager, Malteries Soufflet 6-7 development grande sélection sourdoughs In businesses like ours, controlling risk is part of our economic responsibility. Which is why, for some years, the Soufflet Group has strived to perpetuate its vitality and that of its partners. Today I would like to emphasise how much the models of offers built by our staff meet this requirement, and are shown to be appropriate for perpetuating our business, and our suppliers and customers businesses too. F or some years, price volatility has become established as a recurrent uncertainty on cereal commodity markets. Appearing in 2007, the phenomenon has resulted in vicious, unforeseeable price variations, with wheat prices swinging between 140 and 280 a tonne in a given year. Moulins Soufflet, the instigator of structured price contracts, now presents for its customers one of the most complete offers in existence. An advantage of the greatest importance on the milling market to address the constant risk of volatility products the many aspects of rice innovation enzymes for health and nutrition services synergies around flour fornax training, sharing expertise n 7 The Soufflet Group partners magazine Quai du Général Sarrail, BP Nogent s/seine Cedex - France Tel (0) Because through those offers, it really does again mean controlling the unforeseen and all of the external factors that might affect the chain of economic soundness built by each of the players in our sectors. So that is why we offer our manufacturing customers wheat supply contracts with structured prices, which give a guarantee of protection against volatile cereal prices, which can disrupt entire markets. They are presented in this number of Ingrain Culture. It is also why we are putting together sector-specific contracts, which commit us over the long term to work for quality. You will also find a brief look in these pages at what we are able to build for you. It is also why we have chosen to invest, in order to create our own sourdough production plant at Colombelles, by combining the Group s internal expertise from our Moulins Soufflet, AIT-Ingredients and Lyven subsidiaries. It is a vital choice for the future, which enables us to be self-sufficient in producing a technical and taste ingredient that is vital for improving breadmaking. The central section of this magazine is dedicated to it. Controlling risks and innovating are the promises that the Soufflet Group and its staff renew for you at the dawn of a new year: to stay closely aware of your needs, to assure our joint future. To combat this instability that can disrupt the fragile balance in the sector between farmers, millers and user industries, Moulins Soufflet has introduced an offer of structured price contracts*. The first stage in this movement consisted of guaranteeing minimum purchase prices on the supply-side for wheat producers, from Since then, the offer has been added to propose for our manufacturing customers a dozen contracts that cover the various possible procurement strategies. Like an insurance policy How does it work? Moulins Soufflet s structured price contracts are not based on the futures market (MATIF), with its daily fluctuations, but on options: they are used as benchmarks for prices applied to manufacturing customers. The mechanism employed is similar to insurance, with the payment of a premium, which protects against any risk of an unforeseen rise. In one of the existing formulas, the manufacturer benefits from the whole of the fall in prices on its raw material purchases, while the impact from a rise is limited. Another offer is designed as a Tunnel price, with a plateau and price ceiling per tonne of wheat, which limits variations. For every customer, a tailor-made solution can be created in contract form. Still growing The structured price contract offering will soon be three years old. Because it was so innovative, it required a lot of work to explain it to our customers. But it is now convincing businesses both small and large, that are seeking to control price risks. Its proportion continues to progress in supply contracts with Moulins Soufflet, which, because of its stature, can take buying positions far in advance, and provide what other millers are unable to offer. Tonnage under contract in previous harvests with structured products. 32,000 t 2010/2011 harvest year 42,000 t 2011/2012 harvest year 65,000 t 2012/2013 harvest year zoom The turn of Malting A major player on the barley malt market, Malteries Soufflet wanted to offer its customers a structured range of products based on Moulins Soufflet s successful experience. Built progressively over two years, it is now operational, and tailored to the brewing sector. The Malting Division s staff are currently at the prospecting phase, to make these new products known to their customers who have welcomed them warmly, and are looking at their cover requirements on upcoming markets. Head of publication Thierry Berger Editorial secretary Yoann Greffier Editing / Design Agence Anastase Production Groupe Soufflet Registration 4 th quarter 2013 / ISSN Photos / Illustrations Groupe Soufflet, Fotolia, I. Girolet, P. Masson, Rea, Anastase, G. Chris, Thinkstock Translations Act L / Paris Printing UTIM *A structured price contract is only a means of setting the price. It can be easily combined with a supply chain contract (cf. P.4-5) that will determine the production method and quality of cereals. managing raw material risks The SouffleT Group undertakes... We give value to the earth s potentials Our new Managing raw material risks charter, available on 3

3 Grain chain Custom supply chains 4 Successful policies, policies for success With the strength of its vertical integration in the wheat sector, Moulins Soufflet is developing an increasing number of specific supply contracts, and is thus enhancing the quality of support for its customers, from the choice of seed through to the production of flour. by Fabrice Bourjot, Wheat Development Manager, and Didier Navarre, Sales Manager - User Industry, Moulins Soufflet S upply chain contracts have the wind in their sails. Launched in 2000 in Moulins Soufflet, they are becoming more significant with every season. Thus supply chain contracts for the 2009 harvest covered 23,000 tonnes of flour, while 2013 has already attained 115,000 tonnes. For 2014, the forecast is for a reasonable 140,000 tonnes. So the trend is in place, and in addition, the growth is at constant perimeter. The substitution of tonnage, from the conventional to supply chains, demonstrates the mounting requirements of the secondary processing industry and final consumer. Specialised requirements What is a supply chain contract? It is an undertaking to supply our manufacturing customers with flour from a fully specified, identified and supervised growing process. A supply chain can be designed by the authorities, by a manufacturer or by a miller. Whatever the case, it always meets a precise specification, which is stricter than the regulations require. Regular audits, conducted by independent certifiers, check that the work done, from production of the wheat through to dispatch of the flour complies with the undertakings given. The Soufflet Group s Milling Division holds the position of intermediary to manage the supply chain. On the supply-side, we work closely with plant breeders to anticipate the arrival of new wheat varieties. We check their agricultural performance by testing them on Soufflet Agriculture s trial plots, then their technological performance in our laboratories and test bakeries. Then every year Moulins Soufflet, whose opinion is acclaimed, publishes a guide for all its suppliers to help them choose the varieties to sow. Mid-chain, Moulins Soufflet supports its flour-buying customers by always endeavouring to best meet their needs while bearing agricultural feasibility in mind. Moulins Soufflet is thus at the centre of the constant exchange of information between farming and manufacturing, between the ideal and the possible, seeking mutual stimulation. Controlling the value chain Its expertise is not down to luck. The Soufflet Group s different businesses, from varietal selection, including rice buying by Soufflet Agriculture, through to understanding the various types of plant breadmaking, give it true expertise throughout the whole of the sector s value chain. It is a major issue. Where supply chain contracts are concerned, the ability to anticipate is crucial: our customers commit to a tonnage of flour eighteen months in advance, that is met by our own reciprocal commitment, which is passed on down the line to farmers. As an example, wheat sown in October 2013 will be available in July-August 2014, and will be used to make flour that will be used through to July Plant breeder, farmer, grain buyer, miller, manufacturer: not one of the links in the chain must fail. Moulins Soufflet coordinates the whole supply chain. The reasons for enthusiasm Why are supply chain contracts increasingly popular? Because they enable the big advertisers brands to meet the ongoing challenge of setting themselves apart on the market, including when faced with innovation by retailers own brands. By controlling a supply chain with full traceability, our customers are able to demonstrate to consumers all of the hard work done on the quality and origin of their raw materials. Best growing practices, French produced wheat and food safety are all guarantees that it is now necessary to make known. Production in accordance with a specification adds value to the work of each of the players in the supply chain, who share a common interest. Farmers best enhance the value of their production, with the appreciable satisfaction of knowing where it is going. The storer finds in it a factor to set it apart by offering special contracts in the field. Moulins Soufflet gains a better understanding of its customers requirements by increased discussion with their other departments (R&D, Quality, Marketing, etc.) on the overall scheme. All these various components make supply chain contracts a win-win approach, and a solution of the future in which Moulins Soufflet is determined to be involved. In order to be able to meet all of its customers requirements, Moulins Soufflet offers a complete set of supply chain contracts that can be split into two families: traced supply chains, which highlight the use of environmentally-friendly practices, and provide traceability from field through to the finished product; for example, the CRC chain (specific to France), which has some of the strictest requirements and controls, prohibits the use of insecticides during storage; the Irtac Arvalis chain, which is less demanding yet still guarantees total traceability, is of increasing interest for retailers own brands; supply chains focused on product innovation, that aim to provide a technological or functional plus to the product by means of new types of flour; as for example is the case with our Blanc de Blé (pale wholemeal flour), made from an innovative variety of wheat giving a wholemeal loaf with a whiter crumb, in response to strong consumer demand. Among the notable supply chains in which Moulins Soufflet is involved, there are in particular: Baguépi Fleuriane flour for making traditional baguettes with a natural cream coloured crumb, for craft bakers: it was certified in 2005, as regards three main undertakings (compliance with best wheat production practices, specified flour quality for good bakeability, guaranteed traceability from field to delivery to the baker); produced exclusively at the Corbeil mill, it accounted for 19,000 tonnes in 2013 and is seeing sales increase by 5 to 10% a year; The historic partnership with LU Harmony: close cooperation that dates back to 2009, with a strong increase in the tonnage supplied, and a production undertaking that is based on the LU Harmony Charter, which has forty four requirements covering all wheat production and farming practices that are more environmentally friendly, local biodiversity and contribute to the quality of LU biscuits. 5

4 development AIT Ingredients plant at Collombelles Grande Sélection sourdoughs: a new string to our bow 6 Sourdough made by Lyven and marketed by AIT Ingredients is a new activity and offering for the Soufflet Group. All about the genesis of a substantial challenge, with promising benefits. A doctorate course In order to further improve understanding of the product, a doctorate in association with the ONIRIS (Nantes food technology college, which has a food biochemistry laboratory), is funded by Lyven, The thesis for the course, which began in February 2013 and will run until February 2016, is about establishing flavours in sourdough. So it will provide additional data on controlling the process, making us less dependent on a particular raw material or micro-organism. by Jocelyn rouillé, Head of Sourdough production and development and Edouard DE vaux, Marketing Manager, AIT Ingredients Initiating production, from A to Z A few years ago, the evidence was clear, with the amount of sourdough that it was buying every year, the Soufflet Group had to investigate the possibility of producing it itself. So from 2010, a pre-project approved by Jean-Michel Soufflet, Chairman of the Management Board, consisted of looking into the feasibility of massproduction in-house, which would probably involve several Divisions. An initial investigation by Lyven enabled the first liquid sourdoughs to be developed, and an outline of the process to be sketched. In 2011, laboratory tests were specified, in order to analyse sourdoughs with the right features (ph, bacteria and yeast populations, acidity), to be able to focus development and meet the flavour needs required. The next stage was to engineer the process at the plant, which resulted in setting up at Colombelles (Calvados, France) to take advantage of Lyven s expertise in micro-biology, historically available there. A production unit rising from the ground In December 2012, the building was up. From January 2013, we installed tanks, dryers and powder handling facilities. The plant started up in July, and performance trials were conducted through to October The Colombelles plant is now operational and gives us control over our production using ultra-modern equipment. It is already producing several lines of sourdough and now only needs production rates to increase to reach cruising speed. A scientifically controlled taste ingredient A fter two years of investigations, our first breadmaking sourdough is ready. This is an important stage for AIT Ingredients, which is thus adding to its offer for the wheat-flourbread sector, and is already putting itself forward as a significant new player on the market. An important, traditional raw material, sourdoughs are the ideal answer to consumers demand for tasty products. As Chief Executive Frédéric Brognart says, we have a dual mission: firstly to supply technological products with high added value, and secondly products with high creative added value. Our sourdoughs meet both these requirements, through their technical function and the taste that they provide. A scientific approach to taste We wanted to approach the product with all the logical and scientific rigour possible, without just being content with a purely empirical approach: that is what motivated us, alongside our production project, to set up a sensorial analytical laboratory at our Corbeil site. With its own panel of experts, it seeks to identify and measure flavours, by means of taste markers and descriptors. On that basis a proper objective map of tastes has been compiled together with six sourdoughs which we have added to our Grande Sélection range (see opposite). So Wheat selection no. 1 is a wheat sourdough, with lactic and cereal highlights, that brings out the butter taste in morning goods, but is also able to give a delicate flavour to baguette type loaves. Rye selection no. 3 is an aromatic rye sourdough with fruity, malted highlights, and a touch of acidity, that gives a delicious, authentic flavour, particularly suitable for country loaf and sandwich bread recipes. Wheat germ based Germ selection no. 5 gives an original aromatic profile, with spicy/cheesy highlights, to provide a baked signature to typical loaves, and also to savoury puff pastry for example. Because of the unique combination of skills, Osiris s expertise in fermentation, Lyven s speciality in microbiology, and AIT Ingredients sensorial analytical laboratory which is unique in its class, our Grande Sélection sourdoughs give all the variety necessary for character bread with exceptional flavour. Rye Buckwheat Toasted cheese Butter Cream Yoghurt Wheat Cracked Baked Grains Smoked DAIRY Malt CEREAL Taosted/Roasted Coffee Cacao Woody Brown caramel Mushroomss COOKED The palette of flavours in Grand Chef sourdoughs conveys the main aromatic highlights, demonstrating the wealth of tastes encountered. What is sourdough? Sourdough is a mixture of water, wheat or rye flour and a microbial population (bacteria and yeasts), that triggers fermentation. The aim is to develop acidity and flavours. Sourdough is said to be active when it is liquid, and inactive or devitalised when, following heat treatment, its fermenting components have been disabled. When it is inactive, sourdough keeps its acidity and aromatic signature: it can be used as an ingredient, and can be stored in powder form, like flour. The Soufflet Group s project consists of producing and marketing a highly differentiated range of inactive sourdoughs in powder form, without in any way ruling out working on active and technological sourdoughs in the future. Paprika Cumin Grande Sélection Sourdough TOASTED ROASTED Compote Honey Tatin Nutmeg FRUITY SWEET Rose Jasmine Cinnamon Cardamon Vanilla Dried figs Prunes Raisins Red fruits Apple Chestnut Almond 7

5 products The many aspects of rice by Yannick Hus, Deputy Manager, Industrial Procurement and Sales, Soufflet Alimentaire innovation enzymes for health and nutrition by Emmanuel Graille, Non-EC Export Executive, Lyven Because of the components in rice, Soufflet Alimentaire is extending its product range to follow promising market trends, spanning naturalness, nutrition and innovation. Rizinel BPE pregelatinised rice flour, developed by Soufflet Alimentaire, has the advantage of holding seven times its weight of water. A property that has many possible uses for the food industry, in new areas of application. 8 Rice starch Another use for rice is starch, which is used to produce a fatty feeling in the mouth. Although it can never be a total substitute for fat, a gram of starch can replace 4 or 5 grams, and enables the formulation to be revised with a real nutritional advantage. Also used in dry shampoos and inks, Soufflet Alimentaire has been researching the functionalities of rice starch for the last three years for its customers, on a market where demand is strong. O n the ingredients market, the demand for naturalness, quality nutrition and innovation is more marked every year. A glutenfree food, rice is the answer, for example, to increasing demand in this sector, for its health benefits. So Soufflet Alimentaire s R&D department has long been focused on the many possibilities of rice-based ingredients. Rice flour Our Valenciennes plant exploits the particle size and degree of pregelatinisation of starch. The amylose content in the major families of rice (less than 10% for waxy, between 15 and 20% for japonica and over 20% for indica) is also a relevant factor. Rice-based flour has numerous properties: a neutral taste and absence of colour allows the taste of other ingredients to come through; as they are smaller, granules of rice starch give a less sandy sensation than maize and wheat; a hypoallergenic product, rice does not cause any allergies and is extremely digestible, especially for new-born infants; rice proteins, which are closest to those in human milk, also provide an unusual amino acid for special diets (for example, in sports nutrition); we are actively working on this aspect to meet market demand. Top flight expertise Soufflet Alimentaire s plants know all about the rice processing phase, especially pregelatinisation, during which the rheological response of ingredients* has to be very uniform. The company s expertise is demonstrated by our 100% Camargue Origin rice, where we control every stage of the process, from sourcing and production in the Camargue to processing and packing at Valenciennes. The standardisation of operations and as well as a functional response, tailored to our customers needs, are also strong points. We are continuing to explore the range of applications. Did you know that rice bran, which is high in fibre and oil, supplies most of the oil used in Asia? A reminder that there are still lots of things to be developed with rice on the European market. * a product s performance as regards cooking temperature and time. 100% natural plant extraction Naturalness is a basic trend in the market, over the last five or ten years the use of plant extracts has exploded. The principle is to use one or more of a plant s components, such as chlorophyll from spinach, for example, with a view to a newly developed use. To do so, there are three distinct methods of extraction: by means of an aqueous solution, or a chemical solvent (acetone, methylene chloride, alcohol, hexane), or enzymes. The last method, which is entirely natural, is one of the areas in which Lyven is involved. By means of a range of enzymes facilitating extraction, we produce custom solutions on request from our extractor customers for a given substrate (for example tomato) in order to improve their yields and reduce their costs. So it is possible to cover three broad types of application for plant extracts: foodstuffs (colourings, antioxidants), cosmetics (anti-ageing reagents, skin protection, tanning preparations) and nutraceuticals (tanning, digestion, wellbeing), a market that is highly developed, especially in the United States and Asia. Modification of proteins and Aromatics There are two other areas in the range for the Health & Nutrition sector: modification of proteins and aromatics. To handle the chains of amino-acids that are found in plant and animal proteins, enzymes act as scissors by separating hydrolysed proteins (or peptides), used in the fermentation (probiotics, lactic ferments), biopharmacy and cell culture industries. Lyven tailors its offering in accordance with the different origins of the proteins (plants, eggs, milk, etc.) and with its customers manufacturing processes. Enzymes are also used to produce aromatic extracts, such as marine extracts, for example from the shells of crustaceans. On each occasion, Lyven develops its enzymes to adapt to its customers raw materials and their manufacturing constraints, which provides an attractive economic solution. Producer of enzymes by solid state fermentation (SST), Lyven has developed a range for the Health & Nutrition sector that is both specialised and effective, with three fields of application: plant extraction, the modification of proteins and aromatics. zoom Lyven at the FIE 2013 in Frankfurt From 19 to 21 November 2013, Lyven will be at Food Ingredients Europe, the world s biggest trade fair for food ingredients. Strong emphasis will be put in particular on emerging countries in South America and Southeast Asia, where Lyven s traditional markets are developing in the fields of fruit processing, breadmaking and animal feed. We will be clinching new partnerships for distributing our products. Enzymes are used to extract chlorophyll from spinach leaves, and betacarotene from carrots, by means of a 100% natural process. The enzyme acts as a technological auxiliary in the manufacturing process, and not as an ingredient. 9

6 services synergies around flour by Alexandre Prot, Africa Trader, Soufflet Négoce, Fabrice Roux, Export Sales Manager, AIT Ingredients and Julien Denoël, French-Speaking Africa Sales Manager, AIT Ingredients fornax training, sharing expertise by Sylvia Chaumont, Product Manager, AIT Ingredients Soufflet Négoce s and AIT Ingredients skill synergies and offers stand out particularly on export markets to Africa, due to the complementary nature of our wheat and milling correctors. The role of correctors How do the correctors marketed by AIT Ingredients benefit flour? Additives such as ascorbic acid for example improve the tissue of gluten, in the same way as malted wheat flour, which also helps bread to rise. Other possible corrections are enzymes, that the Soufflet Group produces through its subsidiary, Lyven. They are used, for instance, to give tolerance during baking, and improve loaf volume, which are both benefits very much sought after in Africa. A lthough the Soufflet Group s expertise on the African continent is well known, the suitability of even better combining the work of the two Divisions focused on that continent, Soufflet Négoce and AIT Ingredients, has recently been boosted. Since the start of the new campaign, their sales teams have together been systematically tackling the African markets, which are very aware of value for money. Now although making good flour takes good wheat, all wheat needs correctors. So it is not an unnecessary tie-up but a synergy essential for local millers that is offered, in the form of a range of additional services. Well-understood benefits As the conclusion of recent combined contracts in Mali, Senegal and Cameroon has shown, our customers are won over by this approach of pooling our sales efforts, which is in their interests. The fact that both Divisions belong to the same Group is reassuring for them: it guarantees that their needs are properly understood, with shared methods and terminology, a smooth flow of information preand post-sale, and an optimal spirit of cooperation. The joint sales approach by Soufflet Négoce and AIT Ingredients also enables an overall solution to be offered: a single approach that combines wheat from various origins and ad hoc correction, while being able to review their blending for cost reasons, and better meet the product quality and end price equation. Lastly, a customer s commitment to with two players that are so close ensures reliability of service and consistency of flour. Both sellers and advisors, we are able to commit to guaranteed results for our millers. J ean-michel Soufflet has long wanted the Group to open a training unit able to pass on our business expertise, both inhouse and externally. And now it s a reality, with the creation of the Profil entity. To serve our customers, AIT Ingredients will have the honour of inaugurating this new adventure, by means of the Fornax programme. a programme with four pillars Why Fornax? The name was not chosen at random, because Fornax was the Roman goddess of ovens, similarly to Ceres, the Roman goddess of farming, which is also the name of one of the Soufflet Group s subsidiaries. This is because we want our miller, manufacturer and retail customers, and also craft bakers as our customers customers, to adapt their knowledge of all aspects of breadmaking as it is today. So Fornax is based around four pillars: Wheat-Flour-Bread: learning about the wheat sector through to milling, managing quality control for wheat and flour, and understanding the benefits of formulation; Taste and nutrition: the ability to validate innovations by establishing a sensorial analysis process, and incorporating health issues in breadmaking products; Sharing our expertise with customers also includes training. And that is what motivated the introduction of the Fornax training programme, provided by our Profil unit. Fornax Fornax consists of seven different programmes for the first year: 1 - From wheat to bread 2 - Bread and nutrition 3 - Sensorial analysis 4 - Breadmaking methods and processes 5 - Enzymes 6 - Which ingredients to choose? 7 - From understanding to winning markets in craft baking To find out more and book training on-line: +33 (0) fornax@soufflet-group.com zoom 550,000 tonnes of wheat is shipped every year by Soufflet Négoce to West Africa, with significant markets in Mali, Senegal, Cameroon and also Côte d Ivoire. The cooperation between Soufflet Négoce and AIT Ingredients highlights the aim of always offering our joint customers the right price, the right timing and the right quality. And although at present it concerns mainly African markets, in the future it may be employed elsewhere, especially in Europe. Technique and expertise: controlling the various stages and processes in French breadmaking, being able to analyse dough, understanding the role of enzymes in breadmaking, and making best use of ingredients to resolve technical and taste issues; Developing the offer: acquiring knowledge and methods in order to best sell your bakery products. 10 culturefilière In preparation for a year by our staff, with the cooperation of specialists from the Group s various divisions, Fornax enables the greatest number of participants to share training that until now was personalised, that has been tested, standardised, and will be approved by the year-end. A fine way to get 2014 off to a great start, in view of the positive feedback already received on the project from our customers. Fornax consists of seven different programmes for the first year, and will be added to in the future. A large part of the training will take place at the Corbeil test bakery, in France s Essonne, which still enables practical and theoretical training to be combined. 11

7 For these small rolls, we have big ambitions. Soufflet s Trading Division and AIT-Ingredients offer their manufacturing customers a wide range of wheat together with an offering of milling correctors suited to their specific needs. Our expertise for a high standard of service: expertise in wheat selection highly specialised expertise in milling formulation of tailor-made ingredients a complete understanding of French and African breadmaking An offering designed by our staff: flour of constant quality for solutions to optimise the cost of raw materials. Creation: Agence Anastase / Photo: Soufflet Group