According to a survey commissioned by the Brazilian Association of Biscuits, Pasta and Industrialized Bread & Cakes (Abimapi), the biscuit is present in 99.7% of Brazilian homes.
According to data from Abimapi and Euromonitor, Brazil occupies the position of 4th largest seller of cookies in the world, with a record of 1,475 million tons sold in 2019.
To talk more about this emerging niche market, Mariane Pinhal,
Marketing Manager at MasterSense, invites Gabriela Ferreira, Food Engineer and expert at Maximizar Consultoria, for a #EntreMasters chat. Check it out below!
Mariane Pinhal: Can you tell us about your trajectory with the biscuit market?
Gabriela Ferreira: My story in this market started in 2001, as an intern at Mabel. Then I ventured into another segment, but after a year and a half I returned to work at Mabel, where I stayed for another eight years, three of them as R&D Manager.
After Mabel, I worked at Arcor do Brasil as an R&D Manager for almost four years and for five years I have been a Consultant at Maximizar, where we work in more than 20 biscuit companies throughout Brazil.
Mariane Pinhal: What are the biggest lessons you learned during your work as a technical consultant?
Gabriela Ferreira: Consultants don’t have to know everything, but they should know how to look for help through books, networking, lectures, etc. Use technical reasoning to assess situations, but decide strategically. Having a systemic view makes all the difference.
Today, I am recognized in my area of expertise and, when they talk about cookie processes, my name appears. It’s been almost 20 years in the area.
Mariane Pinhal: Which professionals inspired you in the beginning of your career? And today?
Gabriela Ferreira: Of course, several professionals inspired me at the beginning of my career as college and work colleagues, but the one who stands out and who inspires me to this day is Benjamin Sobrinho, who I consider my “professional father” and whose father I have the honor of being a working partner until today.
Mariane Pinhal: What #stay would you give a professional at the beginning of their career?
Gabriela Ferreira: Go beyond the possibilities of the city where you live. Never stop studying and practice a lot.
Do everything with passion and work as if you owned the company, regardless of your role. Don’t suffer with the resignations and enjoy the choices you make. Network.
Mariane Pinhal: What is the impact of the ingredients and flavors industry on your work as a consultant?
Gabriela Ferreira: I work in partnership with many ingredients and flavoring industries. My points of knowledge are focused on technical updates, networking, dissemination of services we offer in companies, etc. Despite this consultative position, I feel we are always making a trade-off for mutual growth.
Mariane Pinhal: What main challenges have you seen in the biscuit market?
Gabriela Ferreira: In recent years, the biscuit market has been increasingly competitive by price. The competitive advantage lies in those who know how to best use the resources of raw materials, equipment, people and processes. And if this is done well, it is possible to reduce costs without impacting product quality.
Mariane Pinhal: Traveling from Oiapoque to Chuí, what main cultural differences do you find in relation to the characteristics of cookies desired by the consumer?
Gabriela Ferreira: Basically it comes down to the color of the product, for example: in the North and Northeast, the consumer likes a more “golden” product and, in the South and Southeast, the biscuit has to be lighter.
Mariane Pinhal: Which impacts caused by Covid-19 do you see in this market?
Gabriela Ferreira: The biscuit market has grown a lot with the pandemic, because it is a product with a longer shelf life, tasty, low cost, practical and that “fills the belly” of children who are at home all the time. The cookies manufacturers can only take advantage of this moment to leverage sales.
Mariane Pinhal: This week we celebrate the National Biscuit Day. What phrase do you leave in homage?
Gabriela Ferreira: By coincidence, Biscuit Day is also celebrated as Friend’s Day. And who likes to eat biscuits alone? The best thing is to share the package with friends and family!
Mariane Pinhal: Thank you very much for the interview and congratulations for your contribution to the biscuit market!
With its wide range of ingredients and flavors, MasterSense offers specialized solutions that serve several markets in the food industry, including biscuits, artisan and industrial bakery, cakes and panettone. Browse our website and contact us!
