Firestone, Colo. – The National Honey Board Summit, conducted September 26, 2012 in Chicago, brought together some of the most innovative bakers in the retail, wholesale, foodservice and in-store segments for a daylong educational and technical seminar about baking with honey. The goal of the seminar was to spark innovation in new product development of breads, rolls, cakes, pies and sweet goods made with honey.
The Honey Summit was held at Kendall College, and in addition to intensive educational and technical sessions, attendees also watched baking demonstrations by Melina Kelson, Certified Master Baker and Baking and Pastry Chef Instructor at Kendall College. To close the Honey Summit, attendees donned their bakery whites and developed a variety of bakery foods made with honey.
The Honey Summit offered bakers the opportunity to get away from their bakeries and spend an entire day thinking about new products and ways to bring innovation to their bakery food offerings,” Catherine Barry, National Honey Board’s director of marketing, says. “Honey is the perfect all-natural sweetener for new products because it not only provides a great sweetness and flavor, but also because of the allnatural ingredient’s functional and marketing benefits.”
As detailed at the Honey Summit, many bakers are currently capitalizing on honey’s popularity with new product launches in the bread, cookie and cracker aislew at supermarkets throughout the United States. According to Mintel new product information, 121 new bakery foods were launched with honey as an ingredient from August 2011 to August 2012. In the snack category, 146 new products were launched, with food bars leading the way.
The National Honey Board is a federal research and promotion board under USDA oversight that conducts research, marketing and promotion programs to help maintain and expand markets for honey and honey products. These programs are funded by an assessment of one cent per pound on domestic and imported honey.
For more information about the National Honey Board and the Honey Summit, please contact Keith Seiz of The Arland Group at kseiz@thearlandgroup.com or 773-213-2564.