More than 150 industry professionals attended last month's Healthy Baking Seminar in Anaheim, Calif., sponsored by Baking Management and Modern Baking magazines. This year's event included presentations on natural sweeteners and gluten-free baking, and a demonstration on how to formulate bread products using whole and ancient grains.

A panel discussion addressed natural sweetener alternatives for baked products. Larry Blagg, senior vice president, California Raisin Marketing Board; Ania Catalano, chef and author of Baking with Agave Nectar; and Kirk Rossberg, owner of Torrance Bakery, presented the benefits of baking with raisins, agave and honey, respectively. Some facts they shared: the bakery market uses 700 million tons of raisins annually; agave's neutral flavor enhances other ingredients; and honey's high acidity inhibits mold growth.

Attendees also had an opportunity to address industry experts in a more intimate discussion at round robin sessions covering several topics. During the round robins, attendees asked questions about fiber, greening your bakery, egg/dairy replacers, reduced sodium, trans-fat, probiotics and formulating with alternative oils.

Jules Shepard, founder of Jules Gluten-Free, noted that the gluten-free bakery market grew 56 percent in 2007, and gluten-free sales are expected to reach $2.6 billion by 2012. For bakers looking to add gluten-free products, Shepard offered the following advice: segregate gluten ingredients; dedicate areas, utensils and equipment to your gluten-free products; bake the gluten-free items first and only bake them on certain days; package the products in a separate location; and if possible, use a separate facility.

The day ended with a demonstration by Michel Suas, president and founder of the San Francisco Baking Institute. He showed the differences in flour hydrations and in the characteristics of whole grain and ancient grain flours. Attendees also were provided with formulas for several products, including teff miche, Moroccan barley bread and sorghum bread with currants and flax.

April Helliwell, business development manager, The Chia Co., and Katherine Martin, chief editor, Modern Baking, also gave presentations on trends affecting the healthful baking market.

The next Healthy Baking Seminar will be held Oct. 13, 2010, in Boston. For more information, visit www.bakingconferences.com.

NATURAL PRODUCTS INC.

Full fat soy ingredients from Natural Products Inc. are made directly from whole, dehulled soybeans using only natural processing methods, In addition to being functional, ingredients made with whole soybeans contain all the natural oils found in the soybean. Because no chemicals are used during processing, each product retains all of the natural nutrients and phytochemicals of the whole soybean. Roasting soybeans before milling inactivates the enzymes, stabilizes the fats, and results in a pleasant, nutty flavor profile, making it easy to formulate without flavor issues. For more information, call Natural Products Inc. at 641 236 0852. www.npisoy.com

CONAGRA MILLS

ConAgra Mills featured its new Eagle Mills^® gluten-free all-purpose multigrain flour. With a whole grain blend of amaranth, quinoa, millet, sorghum, teff, brown rice and tapioca flour, Eagle Mills can increase the appeal and nutritional value of gluten-free baked products. The company also highlighted its Ultragrain^® white whole grain flour and Sustagrain^® barley flour for their healthful properties in baking applications. For more information, call ConAgra Mills at 800 851 9618. www.conagramills.com

TINE

TINE^® exhibited its EPADHA marine-based omega-3 ingredient. Rich in both eicospentaenoic acid (EPA) and decosaexaenoic acid (DHA), long-chained omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, the ingredient is able to deliver omega-3s with a health effect superior to plant-based omega-3 ingredients. EPADHA is sensory neutral, kosher, has low peroxide and anisidine values and is available either as an oil or as an emulsion. EPA and DHA are associated with cognitive development, reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, and improved immune system functioning. As a staple in the Western diet, bread is an ideal delivery tool for these omega-3 fatty acids. For more information, visit TINE at www.tineingredients.no

THE CHIA CO.

An Australian company specializing in the sustainable farming and development of chia products, the Chia Co. exhibited the healthful properties of the chia seed at the Healthy Baking Seminar. The seed is a nutritious additive to bread and baked products because it is high in dietary fiber — 80 percent of which is insoluble fiber that promotes healthy digestion. It also is high in omega-3 essential fatty acids, and contains more than 20 percent complete protein with all 8 essential amino acids — rare for a vegetable protein source. For more information, visit The Chia Co. at www.bakersdelight.com.au

AB MAURI FLEISCHMANN'S

AB Mauri Fleischmann's focused on its status as a relationship-oriented, technology-driven company that supplies food and baking industries with best-in-class yeast and bakery ingredients. The company portfolio contains five main categories of process optimization solutions: fermentation, oxidation, chemical leavening, shelf life extension and quality enhancement. The company sells compressed, cream and dry yeast under the Fleischmann's Yeast brand and other baking ingredients under the AB Mauri brand name. For more information, call AB Mauri Fleischmann's at 800 772 3971. www.abmf.com

DENOMEGA NUTRITIONAL OILS

Denomega, a pioneer in premium quality omega-3s, displayed its baking-specific omega-3 products at the Healthy Baking Seminar. The company produces flavor- and odor-free products, focusing exclusively on marine omega-3 oils in contrast to other manufacturers that are active in diverse businesses and segments. This provides Denomega the significant advantages of specialized focus and expertise in the omega-3 business. Omega-360^™, for instance, has no odor or flavor and will fortify your baked product with a natural component of important fatty acids. For more information, call Denomega Nutritional Oils at 888 581 9008. www.denomega.com

KING ARTHUR FLOUR

For more than 200 years, all-natural King Arthur Flour has been a staple in the kitchens of home and professional bakers across the country. The company exhibited its unbleached, all-natural flours at the seminar, reiterating its goal to consistently provide professional bakers with the highest quality flour. For more information, call King Arthur Flour at 877 KA FLOUR. www.kingarthurflour.com

BAKEMARK

BakeMark offers a variety of products that contain no trans fat. These products deliver the same great flavor profiles you expect, while providing an expanded market base for more sales, cleaner labels, reduced saturated fats, customer satisfaction, reduced spoilage and an excellent shelf life. BakeMark's BakeQwik thaw-and-bake products, such as scones or cookies, and Westco-branded NTF shortenings, also contain no trans fat. For more information, call BakeMark at 866 232 8575. www.yourbakemark.com