Posts Tagged ‘ bread ’

Health: One in six children is obese in Algeria


Algerians consume an average of 50 to 70 million loaves of bread, daily. It turns out that the Algerians are among the largest consumers of bread in the world. However, eating habits have changed completely. These products have become addicted to fast food. They eat too salty, too sweet and too fatty. It is also great lovers? Hrissa ‘and mayonnaise. They take less fruit and vegetables. This is the observation made ​​by the president of the Algerian Consumer Federation (CAF) Harizi Zaki, at a scientific meeting organized on Thursday by the federation under the theme: “Consumption-obesity, between reality and disease,” Algiers. The participants in the meeting, whether members of the medical profession or associations have sounded the alarm. This new way of eating with disastrous consequences on the mental and physical development of Algerians, adults or children, warn experts. Speakers cited a direct consequence of obesity. “A scourge that threatens today’s health Algerians, especially our children, knowing that its frequency is increasing.” This was said Dr. Bouchrit Ghania specialist school epidemiology at the screening and monitoring (UDS) of the Common Bouzaréah unit. She said one in six children suffering from obesity, in our schools. For the epidemiologist, obesity in Algerian schools “is alarming and requires government intervention.” For her, obesity is not a cosmetic problem, but a disease that can lead to many others. She cites diabetes, back problems, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and even causes cancer. Participants at the meeting said that the fight against obesity must start in schools. Others believe it is in the cradle. They recommend a nutrition education for children, from an early age while also getting them used to practice the sport. Finally, the Algerian Consumer Federation decided to conduct awareness campaigns in the camps this summer for children . It was also decided to publish a textbook on good feeding practices, which will be distributed to all children in school, starting next school year.

2013
04/22
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Breads of Algeria


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An Algerian told me the other day, “eating a lot of bread is one of the few things we really took from the French.” Well, nevermind all those other things the French left behind, but Algerians do really love their bread. Bread here is subsidized, and arrives in the form of baguettes, delivered by truckloads twice a day. I wish I had a picture of this but I am shy about taking my camera out in public. Because of the subsidies, at 5 dinar or .05 euros a loaf, most of the baguettes are spongy and dry not very good. However, you can find some good baguettes scattered throughout the city.

But what we really love here are the local breads, the various flat breads you see piled next to the cashier’s stand. Because everyone buys the baguettes, all the local forms of bread are usually sold in small batches, either made by the shop owners themselves or by a small local bread maker. Many Algerians make these breads themselves at home.

There are a couple unique things about these breads, first they are usually made with a semolina dough, either completely semolina or semolina with a little regular flour mixed in, so they require a lot of kneading and a long rise time. Second, several of the breads are made on special pans, such as a clay pan that looks like the bottom of a tagine, but is made of unglazed clay with little spikes all over the bottom . Below are some of the breads we’ve discovered in our first months in Algiers:

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Kesra Matlua’a

This is probably the most common kind of bread available. Called kesra bread, this version is leavened (matlua’a means risen) and is made on the clay pan described above. You can see the little pin-pricks left from the pan in the photo aboove.The bread is light and spongy, with a heartiness from the semolina. The bread is really only good the day it is made and gets dry quickly.

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Kesra Rakhsis

Above are pictured two versions of the flat, or unleavened, kind of kesra. It is dense and chewy and slightly sweet. I really like this one for breakfast, alongside my yogurt and honey. This bread supposedly lasts a long time but we always devour it quickly, so we’ve never found out.

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Messemen

This is probably my favorite kind of bread here, but as the name implies (messemen means greasy or buttery) it is a bit rich. This is a semolina based dough that is stretched out very very thin and then cooked on a wide flat griddle with butter. It resembles Lebanese markouk bread, but a bit more free form and of course more greasy/buttery to the touch. I especially like to make sandwiches by spreading the bread with labne (strained yogurt) and sprinkling mint and olives over and rolling it up. Labne and sour cherry jam roll-ups are another favorite for breakfast.

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Of course, there are many other kinds of breads – round hearty whole wheat and bran loaves, a bread called pain mahonais, named from Spanish immigrants who came to Algeria from Mahon, Minorca, and flavored with anise seeds and herbs or olives. Special breads for eid or flat pancakes cooked on one side and sprinkled with honey. We look forward to sharing more of the breads here with you as we explore.

2012
12/07
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Eco bag for bread in algeria


Make the bread bag is an ecological as well as an advertising medium for advertisers: that’s what Guettaf Hakim and his team want to achieve. The Director General of the agency Ahaggar in this interview tells the adventures of “ECOBAG” has finally found a local manufacturer. 

You were announced by 1 June 2011 and for the month of Ramadan which has monitoring the operation of replacing plastic bread bags by “eco-bags.” A year later, the “ECOBAG” is still not available in bakers. Why?

Our first operation was delayed in the month of Ramadan 2011. It lasted a month and met with great success. We had to postpone the relaunch date of these bags. The idea is to propose a new medium to advertisers with this package free for the consumer. This is advertising that pays as any other medium. So there will be many orders of promotional bags as advertisers. But we can never replace ourselves all plastic bags from all the territory, given the huge quantities of bread consumed in Algeria. Legislation alone will do. We, we offer advertising space on media ecological, healthy, and great exposure for the advertiser. The concept has everything to please advertisers … Yes, he seduced many people but like any new project, it must be proved yet its usefulness when it seems obvious.That said, when we used to see these bags, the commercial aspect will grow even more natural that the value is excellent. This media between the consumer through the front door, without intrusion, protects and seduces with its utility and its cleanliness. How much does an advertiser an ad in your support? A concrete example: a campaign for a full month, with three bread bags in three sizes, (bread-ball bag, bag and bag a baguette baguettes 5 or 6 faces) in all hyper and UNO in 10 bakers in ten different cities, it is around 1200. 000 Algerian dinars. For a complete month-long campaign in the bag 15 bakeries with 5 rods (2 sides) is 595,000 Da. The price / quality ratio is interesting. How much of your investment knowing that this idea was born in Union bakers but was abandoned for reasons of manufacturing cost and material resources? The amount of the investment accounts in time and skills. We had to take a distribution network operating in major cities across the country, and we have staff dedicated to the commercial aspect and quality workmanship. We have not been helped financially and we still are not. However, we have the support of UGCAA (General Union of Algerian Traders and Artisans, Ed). Is your brand protected? Yes, entirely, to INAPI. We also have exclusive agreements with the best bakers as well as the UGCAA. Where are these eco-bags made? We encourage local manufacturing. Now we have a supplier that meets our specifications. At first they were made overseas but the fact we import them was a problem of reactivity with our potential advertisers. This is also what has slowed orders at one point: when you import you do not have mastered the time.

Faire du sac à pain un produit écologique en même temps qu’un support publicitaire pour les annonceurs : c’est ce que Hakim Guettaf et son équipe veulent réaliser. Le directeur général de l’agence Ahaggar nous raconte dans cet entretien les aventures de l’ « écobag » qui a, enfin, trouvé un fabricant local.

Vous aviez annoncé pour le 1er juin 2011, puis pour le mois de ramadhan qui l’a suivi, l’opération de remplacement des sacs à pain en plastique par des « sacs écologiques ». Une année après, l’« écobag » n’est toujours pas disponible chez les boulangers. Pourquoi ?

Notre première opération a été retardée au mois de ramadan 2011. Elle a duré un mois et a rencontré un grand succès. Nous avons dû reporter jusqu’à maintenant la relance de ces sacs. L’idée est de proposer un nouveau média aux annonceurs avec cet emballage gratuit pour le consommateur. C’est donc la publicité qui paie, comme tout autre média. Il y aura donc autant de sacs publicitaires que de commandes des annonceurs. Mais nous ne pourrons jamais nous-mêmes remplacer tous les sachets en plastique de tout le territoire, vu les quantités astronomiques de pain consommées en Algérie. Seule la législation permettra de le faire. Nous, nous offrons des espaces publicitaires sur des supports écologiques, sains, et d’une grande visibilité pour l’annonceur.

Le concept a tout pour séduire les annonceurs…

Oui, il séduit beaucoup de monde mais comme tout nouveau projet, il faut prouver encore son utilité alors qu’elle nous paraît évidente. Ceci dit, lorsque nous serons habitués à voir ces sacs, l’aspect commercial se développera d’autant plus naturellement que le rapport qualité-prix est excellent. Ce média entre chez le consommateur par la grande porte, sans intrusion, le protège et le séduit par son utilité et sa propreté.

Combien coûte à un annonceur une annonce dans votre support ?

Un exemple concret : pour une campagne d’un mois complet, avec 3 sacs à pain de trois tailles différentes, (sac pain-boule, sac 1 baguette et sac 5 baguettes, soit 6 faces) chez tous les hyper UNO et chez 10 boulangers dans dix villes différentes, c’est aux alentours de 1.200.000 dinars algériens. Pour une campagne d’un mois complet dans 15 boulangeries avec le sac 5 baguettes (2 faces), c’est 595.000 DA. Le rapport qualité/prix est intéressant.

Quel est le montant de votre investissement sachant que cette idée a germé au sein de l’Union des boulangers mais a été abandonnée pour des raisons de coût de fabrication et de moyens matériels ?

Le montant de l’investissement se comptabilise en temps et en compétences. Nous avons dû monter un réseau de distribution opérationnel dans les plus grandes villes du pays, et nous avons aussi du personnel dédié à l’aspect commercial et à la qualité de fabrication. Nous n’avons pas été aidés financièrement et nous ne le sommes toujours pas. En revanche, nous avons le soutien de l’UGCAA (Union générale des commerçants et artisans algériens, NDLR).

Est-ce que votre marque est protégée ?

Oui, entièrement, à l’INAPI. Nous avons également des conventions d’exclusivité avec les meilleurs boulangers ainsi qu’avec l’UGCAA.

Où sont fabriqués ces sacs écologiques ?

Nous privilégions la fabrication locale. Maintenant, nous avons un fournisseur qui répond à notre cahier des charges. Au début, ils étaient fabriqués à l’étranger mais le fait de les importer nous posait un problème de réactivité avec nos annonceurs potentiels. C’est aussi ce qui a freiné les commandes à un moment donné : quand vous importez vous ne maitrisez pas les délais.

2012
07/11
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