Much has been said about key trends affecting the greater food industry, but an important one continues to be a focus on healthful options. While this is especially vital for consumer-facing products, it also has a tremendous impact on business-to-business items as well. 

The Burgen premium bread concentrate portfolio from AB Mauri North America that rolled out in the United States and Canada in early 2017 actually takes healthy inspiration from foreign lands, namely New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Originally introduced in New Zealand in the 1980s by master baker Doug Leighton, Burgen launched as a retail bread brand focused on healthful, wholesome ingredients such as ancient, whole and mixed grains, as well as seeds and even fruit.

Fast forward to 1992, and Burgen moved across the water to neighboring consumers in Australia, again touting  a unique combination of whole grains and better-for-you ingredients. Five years later, Burgen expanded once more, this time to the U.K. and with a heavy focus geared towards women’s health and well-being. Over the years, the iconic brand has continued to grow while industrial and artisan bakers today across North America now have a new choice that they and their consumers can feel good about.

Image: AB Mauri North America

For AB Mauri North America, based in St. Louis, Missouri, the past 18 months have been particularly important since its acquisition of Specialty Blending Co., LLC – a bread and sweet goods mix manufacturer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – in early 2017. 

While numerous advancements have been made in Cedar Rapids over the past year, one of the most significant was the creation of two impactful B2B brands including Burgen as well as the Indulge lineup of premium recipe specialty blends and mixes for sweet goods.

AB Mauri’s initial Burgen launch earlier this year introduced three products including:

  • Burgen Active Choice CF (#7021) – contains a mix of oat, wheat and rye flours and contributes fiber and calcium fortification to finished products
  • Burgen Classic Oat (#7045) – contains a specialty oat blend that delivers a rich flavor and aroma and provides texture and visual interest to baked goods
  • Burgen 14 Grain & Seed (#7072) – contains a premium grain blend with 12 types of grains and two seed varieties and also doubles as a dynamic topping for breads, buns and rolls

Now, AB Mauri’s innovation team has been hard at work preparing five new wholesome, healthy lifestyle-inspired Burgen concentrates for an upcoming launch:

  • Burgen Healthful Oat (#7073) – an oat-inspired bread solution that contains a mix of oats, barley, wheat and more
  • Burgen Healthful Whole Wheat (#7074) – a whole wheat bread combination that contains wheat flour, wheat bran and more
  • Burgen Healthful White (#7075) – a better-for you white bread solution that contains barley flour, soy flour and more
  • Burgen Healthful Potato (#7076) – a potato bread solution that contains potato flour, oat fiber and more
  • Burgen Healthful 14 Grain & Seed (#7077) – a fresh take on the existing 14 Grain & Seed product that boasts new consumer benefits

While the Burgen portfolio has certainly grown, this new series of products is special, as several claims that are important to both bakers and consumers today are included. While attributes may vary from product to product and bakers should be guided accordingly by their own legal counsel, highlighted possible claims may include:

  • Good source of fiber, protein and/or whole grains (per serving)
  • Part of a diet that reduces the risk of coronary heart disease (due to beta glucan soluble fiber)
  • No sugar added
  • Clean label preservation with mold-free shelf life of 10-14 days
  • No DATEM, SSL, monoglycerides or diglycerides
  • Clean label oxidation that is iodate-, bromate- and ADA-free
  • No artificial colors or flavors
  • No trans-fat or partially-hydrogenated oils
  • Low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol

In a climate when bakers across North America are pressed for time more than ever and are now looking for complete solutions – including softening, oxidation, mold inhibition, flavor, and more – Burgen answers the call with a lineup of ingredients that everyone can feel good about. 

Today, Burgen continues the mission as an important part of the bakery ingredient portfolio for AB Mauri North America in both the U.S. and Canada.

For more information about AB Mauri North America’s total portfolio of bakery ingredients – including iconic Fleischmann’s Yeast, chemical leaveners, dough conditioners, softeners, oxidizers, mold inhibitors, tortilla and frozen dough solutions, cereal ferments, and artisan bread and sweet goods mixes, blends, and concentrates – please visit www.abmna.com.