Hear From Our Members
Vince Melchiorre, Bimbo Bakeries USA
“We make amazing products in our industry, we’re very resilient, but we need a push!”
Debo Mukherjee, Flowers Foods
“The younger generation, millennials and gen-z are disconnecting from the category…the relevance of our category is being threatened.”
Chad Donvito, King’s Hawaiian
“Consumers are hearing voices in other areas that are actually pulling people away from the bread category. They are still going to hear it from both sides…but at least they’re just not hearing it from one side.”
Chad Donvito, King’s Hawaiian
“You need to talk to your audience…have a voice.”
Vince Melchiorre, Bimbo Bakeries USA
“Consumers have so much affinity and love for bread. I see the positivity and they want to be engaged together as an industry, because we all see the same issues. We need to change the perception.”
Dan Dye, Ardent Mills
“Need to tell the grain foods story! They are safe and they’re stable, they’re available and versatile, they’re healthy and nutritious, they’re affordable and efficient, and they taste great and they’re widely loved.”
Brian Dwyer, The Kroger Co.
“A Checkoff will give us the funds that we need to really make some headway in education and controlling the message.”
Tony Martin, Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc.
“We had this push that started with Atkins, anti-Gluten movement, Wheat Belly and many negative social movements that have really hurt our industry…we’ve been on a downward consumption for many years.”
Pete Frederick, Grain Craft
“If we don’t do this now, we’re going to lose a whole generation of users of breadbasket products.”
Chad Donvito, King’s Hawaiian
“Bread is delicious…it brings people together…it makes you happy. With one brand, we’ve been able to allow growth and has bucked the trend…that’s a touchpoint for what we can do for the industry.”
Debo Mukherjee, Flowers Foods
“We have not made bread relevant – it is a staple…at the risk of being less sexy, less vibrant. Innovation has not stayed front and center.”
Debo Mukherjee, Flowers Foods
“Bread has been a part of our lives for generations – it is a staple…we need to give them a reason to love again. The love that a mom can convey to a child by making the favorite grilled cheese…the love and power that bread has to be a universal pleaser that unites a family.”
Pete Frederick, Grain Craft
“Now would be the right time to do it! We need to remember that the breadbasket is the largest single category of all flour consumed. If we support that and we’re behind that and that product category grows, it’s good for flour millers. Flour demand has been dropping…this is a way to arrest that.”
Chad Donvito, King’s Hawaiian
“I would like to see a change in consumer perception. I believe there are meaningful ways we can evaluate this and think in 3 years we will see if it is working.”
Dan Dye, Ardent Mills
“We’re in this together! The 3-year trial period allows for us to see where it goes. It’s tough to be a flour miller and look at per capita flour consumption decline to 30 year lows…it’s tough to close mills down. It’s a challenging environment when you know your products are great and you know there should be growth and opportunity.”
Brian Dwyer, The Kroger Co.
“We’ve got to do something to stop the bleeding. We’re on the verge of something monumental…we can make a significant change for the industry.”