Question

What are the recent challenges in baking industry??

Answer

I feel the main challenge in the baking industry is the gluten-free trend and elimination of wheat foods from daily intake. Science doesn't support going gluten-free just for weight loss. Health experts agree that the best way to lose weight, and keep it off, is to limit calories, while eating a diet that includes all food groups, and increasing exercise. Cutting out bread, commercial or homemade, is not sustainable long-term. A successful diet must be a sustainable diet — something you can follow for the long-term.

It is a big stretch to blame wheat and bread for the obesity epidemic in this country. Wheat has been a staple of the human diet for thousands of years. Wheat grain is an important source of starch and protein, both of which provide energy for the human body. Wheat also provides dietary fiber, resistant starch and antioxidants and other phytochemicals.

The human diet is complex and varied. Blaming one food for an epidemic is a gross oversimplification. Unless you have celiac disease, why would you want to swear off bread, pasta and other wheat-based foods?