Puratos, Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium, has acquired BFL (Bakery Future Lines), a family-owned company in La Spezia, Italy, that produces ingredients for bakers and specializes in natural yeast and sourdough products.

Puratos plans to expand BFL’s facilities and workforce to double current production output and satisfy growing consumer demand for healthy bakery products using ingredients, such as sourdough.

“Recent consumer surveys have shown a clear interest in more natural bakery goods, with sourdough being particularly popular,” says Daniel Malcorps, CEO of Puratos. “With BFL’s long-standing reputation as one of the primary providers of natural yeast products and mixes, Puratos intends to further satiate consumer appetite for natural products. BFL’s specialty sweet bread products, such as panettone, colomba and pandoro, head the list of what we believe will be in high demand.”

Stefan Cappelle, Purato’s business unit director, Bakery Flavors and Yeast, adds, “In the last 20 years, sourdough and natural yeast products have become popular again, mainly due to changes in perceptions relating to diet and increased levels of health consciousness. Puratos’ strong commitment to growth, together with BFL’s specialized baked goods knowledge and its planned expansion, will enable us to continue to revolutionize and innovate natural yeast and sourdough products and match the demands of both customers and consumers.”

BFL’s process focuses on a sourdough with a different and specific consistency that produces unique benefits, the most important of which is improved texture and palatability in sweet products. This type of sourdough is also used in products such as brioches and croissants.

Through a specially designed drying process, BFL made it possible to conserve all the benefits of traditional sourdough in a powdered form, resulting in a sourdough that is more cost-effective and has a longer shelf life.