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Opinions of Friday, 14 July 2006

Columnist: Bolus, Mercy Adede

The Bread Industry: - What's new

• The bread industry has been in existence for decades but do we have any history of how it all started in Ghana?

• Where did we get our first flour from and how was it milled?

• Is there any catering college with speciality in bread making and offering the youth opportunties?

• Who was the first to start such a college perhaps then?

• Does Ghana even have a little museum for show any thing about the milling process etc. these are some of the areas if bakers come to come would love to see to pick up tips?

• Are there nay books written about our bread making history?

• What variety of bread is on offer for Ghanaians and others?

• Could it be the tea and sugar bread or “ barnes bread “?

• Why has there been no advancement in the variety of bread we offer to clients in Ghana other than the already mentions varieties.

• Could it Ghana bakers are too rigid in exploring other areas?

• Could it be Ghana bakers have not listening to what customers really want and every thing is mass-produced?

• It appears researching the customers needs in bread making is completely out of question

• Ghana had a brown bread bakery at James Town back in the 1970’s at Sea View Hotel premises.

• Ghana is embarking on a new industry tourism yet we are not researching into the type of bread our tourists would want?

• Currently there are rather wide variety of bread in many countries For example sun dried tomatoes mix with flour processing of the dough, some Chile pepper, cheese, raisions, peanuts, cocoa, and other fruits.

• Ghana bakers associations have not exploited what is happening in the world.

• Do we have Ghana Bakers Association and perhaps the Ministry of health, Food Standard Board, Health and Safety Board and Food and handling Board pop in and offer a periodic up date to the bakers to ensure that everyone is adhering to policy within their Board?

• Does bread makers have a yearly registration to ensure that our breaker have not contracted any infectious diseases?

• Does the Food and handling Board educate our bakers during their to avoid touching bread they baker and wear clear gloves or use togs to pick up bread when bagging them for sale?

• The U.S.A and U.K emulate each other very quickly because the British bread Association as very serious with their bread making strategies.

• The British Bread |Industry actually did a research into how the bread could be made so that it could be easier to cut into diagonally, they ensured the bread had less bubbles in the making of the dough.

• The company have chemist, and other scientific staff continually testing product to offer the clients the very best.

• Bovis Bread bakers and others are regularly reviewing their products, monitoring progress and evaluating their customers needs. It is irnoic that they started the way everyone started off but have exceedingily advancement in bread making.

• Does any bread making company in Ghana invest in this a multi- billion industry or take it as a hobby?

• Bread Baking is a huge industry.

• There are several varieties of choices of bread too and our bakers need to travel the world and see what their counterparts over the world are engaged in.

• When the tourists come to Ghana, this is our opportunity to ask them what they prefer other than the ones we offer. The Ghana Tourist Board may need to work closely in ensuring that we have a database available to offer businesses about certain areas.

• Ghana need to trap information about where the tourist are coming from, what they prefer, and what they would like and such information could be shared to research institute to facilitate any concerns etc. Information sharing is vital to our general success.

• There are over a thousands variety of bread being sold across the world.

• Ghana need to wake up, as a new dawn is open with ideas ejaculating left, right, centre. The need to be smarter to offer the best for clients.

• Ideally is would ne worth if every baker have a certificate. This could be hanged in their office or stall that they have been certificate to with the food and handling Board.

• Street bread selling may need to be slowing be phased out and also bread may need to have their expiring date stamped on labels.

• The British also started this way where bread is delivered by bicycles or by wheel tracks until the industry turned into a big mulit-billion business.

• There is money in bread making but we in Ghana underestimate this industry and engaged in others form of business.

• It would be better for every home with Huge oven, or the out doors oven to have a shop to sell the products, meat pie, freshly made giving customers to chat with the bakers or wait and enjoy a cup of tea, coffee or cocoa drink whilst they wait for their bread to be baked or sandwiched to be made on site.

• In Ghana we spend too much energy cooking foods which we even over cook killing all the vital minerals and vitamins.

• Fresh salad and freshly made sandwich is not the thing for the western society alone but an easy way of quick and easy meals to take away.

• Presentation of finished products is lacking throughout our society and it is about time we take an extra pride in finishing our product we offer very seriously.

• Ghanaians capable to achieving anything but we must put an extra effort and educating the bread making associations to ensure a standard of doing things.

• Our Universities who responsibility to research a concern please this is your opportunity to help our bakers.

• Bakers are equally as important as any other industry please let us give this industry the respect and dignity it deserve.



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