Maëlis Dupont

Boortmalt, an Axereal subsidiary, is a leading malt production company supplying ingredients for brewing. It has operations in Belgium and several other European countries, in Asia, in Africa and in North and South America.

Thanks to Axereal, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to do my international placement (a compulsory part of my engineering course) with Boortmalt in Antwerp. During my twelve-week placement, I explored the malting and brewing processes. I learned more about how barley grains are selected. It was also an opportunity to experience a different working culture and another country’s lifestyle, and to practice my English.

One of the responsibilities I’ve been given is to manage dates of minimum durability (DMDs). I look after the whole process, from sending samples for analysis through to compiling the results (microbiology, technological and organoleptic qualities, etc.). Each Axiane flour has a DMD printed on it. It’s there to show that after that date, the flour may have lost some of its qualities, although it will still be safe to consume. A product whose DMD has passed does not necessarily need to be thrown away, but the consumer should check that the packaging is intact and look out for anything untoward (insects, odour, etc.).

It’s up to us to ensure that the date that we print on our bags is correct. Generally, approving a DMD involves checking the date the product was manufactured (“t=0”) and the microbiological and technological quality (to determine the initial qualities and properties), and then repeating the checks again once each third of the target DMD has passed to see how the properties change.”

Nutri-Score is a free, optional nutritional label that producers can choose to display on food products. It was put in place in France in 2017 to provide consumers with information on the nutritional quality of a product. The logo takes the form of a scale, from a dark green A (the highest score) through to a red E (the lowest score). The Nutri-Score takes into account the nutrients contained in a product, both those we should eat more of, such as fibre and protein, and those we should try to avoid, such as saturated fatty acids and sugar. The more the balance of nutrients in the product tips towards those we should be eating more of, the better the Nutri-Score.

The way the Nutri-Score is calculated changed in 2022. We, in common with all the businesses using the system, had to find out about these changes and put them into practice. And that’s where I came in. I started by carrying out some research, point by point, to see what effect the changes would have.

Then I updated our file of Nutri-Score calculations and checked all the products that have the logo printed on the packet. The last step was, where necessary, to change the packaging to show the updated scores based on the new calculations.

The role of the R&D department is to create the products that best meet customers’ requirements. During development projects, we often need to conduct large-scale tastings of bread products made with our flour to ensure that they meet specifications (flavour, softness, crunch, etc.).

I’m responsible for organising these tastings. First, I set a date, prepare the questionnaires and let our panel of consumers know when the tasting will be held. The day before, I work with the bakery to prepare the bread that will be needed. On the day, I lead the tasting workshops, doing my best to get as many people involved as possible. The next task is to compile the responses and analyse the results.

For example, I worked with Angèle, the summer intern in Axiane’s formulation department, to organise a tasting workshop at the Olivet site. We had the pleasure of hosting 90 staff who tested several breads made with our flour. The event was a success, and we would like to thank the staff for taking part. We used the tests to adjust our recipes, to make sure that the products we offer to bakers will be popular with their customers.

In France, people eat an average of 6.7 to 8.7 grams of salt per day, whereas the recommended daily intake is around 5 grams per day.  Some of this salt comes from bread, and legislation is currently changing to reduce the amount of salt it contributes to our diets. Today, bread can contain a maximum of 1.5% salt. Stricter limits, which will vary by product, are to be put in place from October 2023.

Axiane has a role to play as a miller to contribute, alongside all the other players in the sector, to cutting bread’s salt content.

My task was to use calculations to check that all of Axiane’s recommendations and the amounts of salt we suggest for use with our flours fall within this new legislation. I am also involved in efforts to update recipes to reduce their salt content while ensuring that bakers can still rely on them for great bread-making results.

Thanks to our efforts, all Axiane products are keeping pace with regulatory changes, and thereby helping to improve public health.

The aim of varietal selection is to identify the varieties of wheat that will be used in the future.

This project runs annually during the harvest period, in July and August. For two months, I’m responsible for taking in samples of wheat and analysing them. For each sample, this involves cleaning the grain to remove impurities such as grit or straw, using an infrared meter to determine the moisture and protein content, and measuring the specific weight and Hagberg falling number (an important indicator of flour quality). I then put the wheat through the test mill to turn it into flour, which is used for bread-making tests and other analyses such as alveograph tests.

In addition to these analyses, I also have to compile all the results in a database, which is then used to decide whether the variety is of interest to Axiane or not.

Each year, I have an intern to help me during this period, so it’s up to me to teach them all the different techniques that will be required over the two months and ensure that they are picking them up so that we can complete the project as efficiently as possible. Teamwork really is key!