Association of Industrial Bakers Wednesday, 08 / February / 2006

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TURKEY
INDUSTRIAL BAKERS ARE UNITING

Association of Industrial Bakers has been established, its aim being to work for the improvement of production, usage and consumption conditions and habits of bakery products of Turkey , to utilize the rich cultural inheritance in this field and to work for the national and international promotion of the sector and the bakery in Turkey

Bread, having a sacred value for the Turkish people, is the most important, staple nutritional item in every meal of the day. The demand for bread has always increased in line with the population and the accelerated urbanization, hence the bakery sector has grown and developed.

In our country, a developed bread industry in real term has not been formed until now. The improvement in the previous periods is barely from traditional stone ovens to rotary ovens but in the last ten years though not many, high technology tunnel ovens have been built.

The growth of industrial bakeries in Turkey has been in the number of establishments instead of technology and quality; people could not get the fair quality and quantity of bread for the price they paid because of the lack of competition and inspection.

The main problems of the Turkish baking industry, are the insufficient technical and hygienic conditions and the uneducated laborers. We are all aware that a radical, structural and permanent change is required. Furthermore, in the process of Turkey’s EU accession negotiations, this constitutes a pressing need.

A policy and a coordination that will find a countrywide solution to the bread problem of Turkey is urgently required.
Association of Industrial Bakers has been established, its aim being to work for the improvement of production, usage and consumption habits of bakery products of Turkey, to utilize the rich cultural inheritance in this field and to work for the national and international promotion of the sector and the bakeries in Turkey.

For the first time in the history of Turkey, Industrial Bakers are united. The inaugural meeting of the Association of Industrial Bakers was held on Wednesday, February 8th 2006, starting at 19:30 hrs., at Topkapı Eresin Otel. The meeting was attended by prominent figures of the sector, from all regions of Turkey. EFB (AIB), which happens to be union of industrial bakers using the tunnel system has been established by seven volunteers. The fact that the leaders of the industrial bakery sector, such as “UNO”, “Doygun Ekmek” and “Kareksan” are among the founders and that all founders are experts in their fields is a strong indicator that that EFB (AIB) will be of significant benefit to the sector.

“İstanbuI Halk Ekmek A.Ş.”, which is founded by the Greater Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul, to serve the citizens of Istanbul and to regulate the bread prices, takes the responsibility to become the leader for the Association of Industrial Bakers. The President of the Association, Ömer Bilgiseven, who is also the General Manager of “Istanbul Halk Ekmek” said that their aim is to represent the Turkish bakery sector before international associations and foreign countries, contribute to international cooperation, and participate in related applications in order to achieve international knowledge and experience exchange in the field.

Ömer Bilgiseven, President of the Association of Industrial Bakers, indicated that they created an excitement in the bakery sector by providing the Turkish people with healthy, economic and adequate nutrition. He also indicated that the standardization studies of raw material, production, administration, distribution and service quality will henceforth be organized by the Association of Industrial Bakers.

In the First Inaugural Meeting of the EFB (AIB), attended by almost 200 owners and managers from the sector and a large number of press members, Prof. Dr. M. Hikmet Boyacıoğlu performed a slide show describing the position of the sector in Turkey and in the world and how shall the Association of Industrial Bakers contribute to the sector. At EFB’s first meeting in Topkapı Eresin Otel, M.H. Boyacıoğlu, professor at Department of Food Engineering, I.T.U., declared that EFB (AIB) is going to take the lead in solving the problems and improving the sector as a non-governmental organization.

At the Brussels Presidency Council Meeting, in October 2004, we were accepted as a member of the “Association Internationale de la Boulangerie Industrielle, AIBI”. In the Barcelona meeting held in May 2005, General Manager of “Istanbul Halk Ekmek”, Ömer Bilgiseven was elected as the Vice-President of AIBI. The Association will hold its Presidency Council meeting in Istanbul, in February 2006. All the members of the Association are very enthusiastic that this important international meeting will take place in Istanbul, Turkey.

As the International Industrial Bakers Association (AIBI) is in close cooperation with the EU Health Commission in the process of law making, EFB (AIB) is expected to play an important role in the structural changes and adaptation process of the Turkish bakery sector. It is expected that the Association of Industrial Bakers (EFB) will provide a modern working environment to the bakery sector and will enhance cooperation with European colleagues. It is also expected that EFB (AIB) will be the sole counterpart of the International Industrial Bakers Association (AIBI) in Turkey.

Association of Industrial Bakers meeting in Topkapı Eresin Otel adjourned to be followed by a cocktail party.