Ferré & Consulting Blog (English Version)

Japan and South Korea have qualified to compete in the 2012 Bakery World Cup.

The two teams clinched their spots during the Louis Lesaffre Cup competition, held at the China Bakery Exhibition in May. Japan and South Korea beat out teams from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Australia to secure their spots in the competition.

South Korea

Japan

Australie

The Australian team, which won the competition’s  challenger title, still has a shot at competing in the Bakery World Cup next year. One of the six challenger teams from each of the regional selection rounds – Australia, Costa Rica, Brazil, England, Slovakia and Morocco – will be selected to compete.

Bakery Asia, Louis Lesaffre

Barry Callebaut expects cocoa prices to gain further this year on supply concerns in top cocoa regions in West Africa and a recovery in global demand. The Swiss-based firm says prospects of weaker output from top grower Ivory Coast have shifted some of the company’s focus to Asia.

CEO Juergen Steinemann noted recently that Malaysia may drive some of the expansion once farmers improve the flavour of their beans through microbial fermentation to cater to a global market used to Ivory Coast beans. “Fundamentally, demand is higher than offers. Prices should go up,” Steinemann told reporters at Malaysia’s administrative capital of Putrajaya.

“Asia is the logical move away from Africa. Malaysia is the largest grinder in this region and we want to use our collaboration with the Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB) to improve the quality of cocoa and improve the incomes of farmers.”

Under the three-year project, the MCB will ferment cocoa beans using microbe cultures developed by Barry Callebaut. MCB Director-General Azhar Ismail said Barry Callebaut will purchase the beans at a premium to local market prices.

Chocolate, Companies Asia, Barry Callebaut, cocoa