Supermarket Perimeter - November 2023 - 27

" The availability of labor is something every business is dealing with
as demographics change. It's just a fact that there are fewer younger
people to take the place of older workers as they retire. "
Increasing automation
Ongoing labor shortages mean instore bakeries are looking for ways to
be more efficient in their use of time and labor. An effective solution is
critical because bakery retail is still going strong. A Top Trends in Fresh
report from Circana, Chicago, reported double-digit dollar growth in
the bakery. And even though prices continue to rise, people are still
purchasing.
An Ask-A-Baker panel at BEMA's Convention 2023 found bakers are
striving to meet customer demands with an attitude of continuous
improvement. This means bakeries need equipment designed to
produce consistent, quality results that will meet evolving customer and
consumer needs. This includes partnering with equipment suppliers
to source solutions that will not only improve efficiencies but also be
cost-effective.
One of those trends within the North American market is the
movement away from a softer bread toward crustier artisan breads
with more grains, botanicals and seeds, according to Tom Ranc, vice
president, general manager, JAC, Andover, Mass.
" The 'soft white bread-designed' gravity feed machines are not
the appropriate slicing solution that they once were, " he continued.
" Machines that incorporate an automatic mechanical pusher will
become the necessity as they can cut more loaves faster and more
consistently, utilizing fewer skilled workers. "
JAC's patented ISC - Intelligent Slicing Concept pusher system senses
the density and crust of the bread and adjusts the slicer performance to
produce consistent slices.
Boosting automation
Bakery slicers are a known solution for producing reliable and timely
results. Slicer manufacturers look to find a balance of speed and
productivity to make labor as efficient as possible. Instore-based slicers
should be robust, simple, intuitive and safe to operate. The choice of
a slicer should also reflect labor/time (batch slicing or sliced-to-order),
self-service, customer base (multiple slice thickness), quantity and the
types of breads.
Incorporating increased automation can also be beneficial as
consumers begin to ask direct questions about big topics such as
sustainability and food waste. Waste can erode already thin margins,
but the efficiencies of a slicer might be another way to help a bakery
directly cut down on food waste by generating upcycled items such as
croutons, bread cubes and breadcrumbs to boost the bakery portfolio.
Mattson, a Foster City, Calif.-based food innovator, found consumers
are embracing upcycled foods with some companies even opting for an
upcycled material certification.
Waste in bakery production can take several forms: lost hours,
equipment malfunctions and breakdowns, cost of materials, and
damage that occurs during slicing. When looking for a bakery slicer,
Ryan recommends looking at three things: 1) volume, 2) the type of
products that will be sliced, and 3) the types of slice desired. Ryan
Slicer specializes in horizontal slicing of products such as buns, bagels,
supermarketperimeter.com
NOVEMBER 2023 - 27
JAC's slicing
system senses the
density and crust of
breads and adapts
automatically
before slicing.
hoagies and croissants and its slicers cut with a side-hinge, butterfly or
center hinge or both on the same machine.
Considering size
The footprint of the bakery and products produced will also dictate
the kind of slicer needed. Wholesale bakeries that sell product instore
usually produce far higher volumes than smaller, instore bakeries. For
instance, companies that ship par-baked and pre-sliced product might
lean toward the use of larger machines.
Over the past year, JAC has added improvements to its slicers that
assist with controlling labor and improving customer focus. Its SWIFT
slicer uses a set of infeed rollers to offer single-user slicing and bagging.
Its VARIA slicer is designed to cut almost any bread and any slice
thickness, and the new SELF slicer allows customers to choose, slice and
bag their own loaves for the freshest customer experience.
Self-service slicers allow a customer to pick and slice their loaf at
time of purchase. One side benefit of a self-service program is that the
store can re-task the time spent cutting and bagging bread while also
controlling shrink, according to Ranc. In supermarkets such as Publix
and Wegmans, visible instore slicers allow customers to see the bread
sliced directly in front of them, providing an artisan bakery feel.
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Supermarket Perimeter - November 2023

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