NFM: Flour not to blame for poor quality products

NFM CEO Michael Potella yesterday cited a need for improved baking methods as opposed to higher quality inputs for an improved pastry industry. Potella was speaking at “A Pastry Seminar” hosted by NFM at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute. Several bakery owners and other stakeholders in the pastry industry were present. The Seminar focussed on croissant, danish, puff, pie dough and other forms of pastry production. “NFM has recognised the steadily declining standards in baking and felt that there is an urgent need to arrest this situation. We also observed that the baking industry was not investing resources towards elevating baking standards. The result is that flour is often blamed for the poor quality products.”

Feature speaker and Executive Chef Consultant Debra Sardinha-Metivier highlighted the need for improving the basics of pastry and pastry art. “People need to take time to increase their knowledge and hone their skills,” she said. “This poses a definite challenge to the industry. The industry is wide and when you look around there is a certain lack of consistency of product. Take for instance a currant roll, you should be able to get a decent currant roll wherever you go. We come from a culture that is known for ‘sweet hand food’ but that is not what large scale production is about,” Sardinha-Metivier added.