Frozen Revolution in Bakery Production

The bakery industry has been undergoing revolutionary changes, Over the past three decades it has moved from producing buns and bread to being a multi-segment industry spanning industrial bread, packaged biscuits, premium patisserie to present day frozen foods. Modern technology has enabled the industry to revolutionise by producing frozen bakery items which have a long shelf life while retaining their health benefits. Ashok Malkani views the frozen bakery food products and their popularity across the country.

- Ashok Malkani

Over the past decade the food service industry across the globe has been undergoing a quiet transformation. Restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, et al. have been trying to effectively tackle rising costs and labour shortages while delivering consistent quality. One of the options in this situation is to opt for frozen foods. Though there is a lot of debate whether frozen foods are the best choice there is little doubt about their benefits.

In the case of bakeries, replacing in-store fully baked goods with frozen bakery products (partially or fully frozen) is a practical solution for financial and operational benefits.

It may be mentioned that at present, frozen bakery products which are processed by automatic freezer machines, to keep the food at a low temperature, are then sent to major supermarkets, restaurants, etc. Health-conscious Indian consumers are now demanding healthier frozen baked products that contain natural, nutrient-dense ingredients.

A layman, who thinks that bakery products merely consist of cakes, may wonder as to what is meant by “frozen” bakery products.

The frozen bakery products include a variety of baked goods such as bread, cakes, pies, and pastries, which are frozen to preserve their quality and taste for long periods.

Rajesh Sanghvi, Founder of Delta Nutritives Pvt. Ltd., explains, “Frozen bakery products are those which are sold in the frozen form and are ready to be baked and consumed, giving a freshly baked experience.”

He adds, “Frozen Bakery products include breads, cakes, pastries, croissants, Viennoiserie, Danish and muffins.

“Frozen parathas and savoury items such as thin dough sheets, spring roll sheets and filo pastry sheets are amongst the popular items.”

He adds, “Footlongs, Pizzas, Buns, Croissants etc are widely sold in the Indian market.”