Ace, The Canadian Bakery That Did!

I dropped by hoping to buy a loaf of sour dough bread. Its elixir of health was now known and fast becoming a noteworthy addition to our diet. I spoke to 'Mary', the bakery head, whose welcoming smile was always worth a visit. Sourdough would be available tomorrow, she replied. Then I spotted the sign: 'NON-GMO Project Verified' above the full-size baguettes of the famous Ace Bakery chain. I was shocked! What was happening here?

The famous Canadian bakery was now in the midst of a major company overhaul, a time-consuming and costly one, to make its products NON-GMO. The company is widely known for its delicious artisan breads. Its journey towards NON-GMO Project VERIFIED began February 1^st. Are other food companies going to following suit? Too soon to tell. By the summer of 2016, all of Ace's artisan breads would be audited by an independent third party for the NON-GMO seal of approval, I learned later that day, after visiting their website. I was thrilled.

The labelling of all GMO foods is not required nor is it law in North America as mentioned in Genetically Modified Us, (Jan. 16/2016) and The Science Of GMOs, Part II., (Jan. 24/2016.) ... ACE Bakery seems to disagree. The company is removing all uncertainty for its customers and is now in the process of monumental change. ACE is now setting a new precedent for all bakeries, if not all food companies. Its basic tenet, to bring the absolute best, in artisan bread, to the marketplace, was setting a new level of excellence for all. The company was changing the status quo. It cared deeply that its customers listed GMO-free foods as a major concern when grocery shopping. How could it not be, I wondered? This 'scientific' introduction into the food supply, known as GMO, genetically modified organism or GE, genetically engineered, was showcasing itself to the world, in troubling ways. It was fast becoming an unwelcome guest.

GMO entered our lives, long ago, without our knowledge of its surreal mission. GMO is not the saviour of the food supply as it was touted long ago. Many have expressed concerns over its deleterious affects on mother nature's pollinators, plants and human health. Scientists have been sounding the alarm bells for a while now. (Sadly, the cows have it worse.) Years ago, while viewing a documentary on food, I listened as the spokesman of a grocery organization remarked that each year 10,000 new products were created. I was aghast at the statement! How could that be? There are only 5 food groups: meat, dairy, fruits, vegetables and breads/grains. Even with a tiny tweak here and there to create a new product/ product line, how could that translate into 10,000 new items each year? If there are newly created artificial flavours, textures, colours being 'engineered' in the lab, then I suppose new dishes could result, created from these artificial ingredients, considered food. Oh, My.

In 1983, two food connoisseurs, began to change the face of the retail bakery landscape. They left Canada in search of masters in the craft of artisan bread-making. This dynamic couple, wanting to make the best baguette in the world, left their Canadian home-kitchen, a place of research and experimentation, to travel, extensively, throughout the United States and Europe to source the best of artisan breads and bring that knowledge and skill set home to Canada. ... Eleven years later, Ace bakery was born. From its small beginnings, the bakery has grown to its present size, impressively dominating the retail bakery landscape across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean since 2013. It is a preeminent force to reckon with, in becoming NON-GMO certified. Its mission statement: to provide the simplest, healthiest, premium ingredients, using the much maligned 'unbleached wheat flour', sourced from certified NON-GMO farms has helped restore bread's luster in the hearts and minds of bread lovers, everywhere. The standard of bread excellence has now been raised to an unprecedented level. (It was bought in 2010 by a large Canadian grocery store chain to improve their product line.)
 

Bread has fed the earth, for centuries. We've all been held captive by its appeal, taste, texture and freshly baked aroma. We can now eat bread without that uncertain feeling. We have unlimited choice. The team at ACE bakery uses simple ingredients, time-honoured techniques and complex methods, honed over years of research and experimentation, to create the absolute best in artisan breads and rolls. Now these delectable creations are becoming certified GMO-free. ... In A Simple Loaf of Bread, (2015) Momsey writes about the changes made to speed up commercial bread's production, when, decades ago, the second shift of bakers began to disappear. ... The Ace bakery multi-talented team of mixers and bakers have taken time to new heights. At 3:00 am, they arrive to measure and mix the ingredients required for the day's and the next day's baked creations. Fermenting starters are 'fed' daily, a slow precise process that keeps these 'sticky' batters alive and healthy. It is a job unto itself. Master bakers ensure ACE's high standards are met rigidly, day in, day out. Fermentation alone requires much time, sometimes 6 hours or more. (In excess of 12 hours are required to produce some of the company's artisan breads.) The complex steps of fermentation, mixing, proofing, rising and baking, in special ovens, all combine to produce some of the most incredible artisan bread formulations in the industry. With Ace, bread is not just a simple side dish in the diet. It is real food for human health.

Great bread cannot be made in one hour. Momsey knows. She has made doughnuts, dinner rolls, beaver tails, pizza, challah, many times, in her kitchen and in her classrooms. Hours roll by but the results are well worth the wait! Human health depends on it. Ill health, food intolerances/allergies and obesity were rarely concerns or issues when I was a little girl. Now these chronic conditions dot the health landscape, a rampant menace in our lives. It does not surprise Momsey. How our food is grown is as important as how it is handled and ultimately prepared. Bread a part of life. It graces the tables of fine dining establishments, everywhere. Where Ace bakery is concerned, bread made properly, respectfully and with grace is a part of a healthy diet. It is the hallmark of their philosophy. Momsey would tend to agree.