Panibag - the Cover that benefits bakers
- Panibag
- Mar 24
- 3 min read
(Thanks to Armand Tandeau, journalist at La Toque Magazine, for the Focus article on Panibag and its bread crate Cover.)
Original article on magazine.latoque.fr, Issue No. 349, September 2023, pages 72-73
Panibag, a cover that makes bakers' life easier
Known for its famous kraft paper bread Cover, Panibag looks back at the strengths of this innovation. The brand is also working on new projects, always with the same goal: optimizing the artisan’s everyday gestures.
Panibag became known within the profession in 2018 at the Europain trade show. Often seen as simply a “large bread bag,” the product is actually a Cover for bread crates (also called mannes). Made from strong brown kraft paper, it is placed inside the perforated plastic crates that bakers use every day to collect baguettes as they come out of the oven and transfer them either to the shop (for immediate display) or into vans (for outside deliveries). The material used (micro-perforated on the sides for improved ventilation) is also particularly effective at regulating moisture transfer during cooling.
Direct benefits
A baker who handles these daily transfer operations immediately sees the value of the Panibag Cover. It prevents crumbs and flour from spreading everywhere the crates go (which are necessarily perforated to allow the bread to cool). It also greatly slows down how quickly the crates get dirty (hot bread leaves flour residues in the holes, which stick to the plastic and encourage microbial growth). It provides an effective solution for complying with the HACCP approach and the Hygiene Package (EC Regulation No. 852/2004), including the ban on placing crates containing food products directly on the floor.
“These benefits are quite obvious for bakers, especially in production labs where outside deliveries are increasing. Bread crates create a daily problem: they strongly contribute to dust in the premises and vans, and they compromise product cleanliness, especially in delivery environments. So bakers quickly understand that using a Cover allows them to solve this everyday issue in a simple, effective and eco-friendly way!” explains Ludovic Rey, President of Panibag and co-creator of the concept (with his son Damien).
Small streams make big rivers
What bakers see less is the considerable reduction in cleaning workload and water consumption.
“When you start calculating the time spent cleaning the floors of your premises (every day), delivery vehicles and all your bread crates (every week), you quickly realize the workload involved. If you convert that time into labor cost, you also see the savings you can generate just by placing a Cover in your crates. On average, pressure-washing a standard crate takes about 10 minutes and costs €3.50 in labor charges. Add water and detergent and you are close to €4 in operating costs per crate. Multiply that by the number of crates to clean over a year, and you quickly understand Panibag’s value!” he claims.
For a better brand image benefit
Another key advantage of Panibag, not always obvious at first glance, is the positive impact its use has on the bakery’s responsible image. Putting Covers in crates conveys cleanliness, quality and food safety. This form of non-verbal communication reassures customers who are sensitive to these issues.
“Receiving bread in Covers is especially appealing to catering professionals in public institutions. Not only do they keep receiving areas clean, but during unloading they can also serve as extra bags. Their strength, designed for 60 baguettes (16 kg), is certainly not meant for transport outside the crates, but it is enough to safely place baguettes at delivery points. It is a more professional advantage and much better appreciated than the flour bags that are generally used, especially since those are not suitable for cooling and do not comply with hygiene rules (in particular the forward workflow),”
explains Ludovic Rey, who is also a professional baker (and the first tester of his products). Made from FSC-certified wood cellulose (sustainably managed forests), the brown kraft paper is not only food-contact compliant, but also provides optimal conditions for cooling and bread preservation. Recyclable and compostable, this material is also perfectly suited to the marketing world of artisan bakeries and their environmental requirements.
Durability and responsibility
Panibag is compatible with most bread crate models on the market (Allibert, Gilac, Manutan, etc.). Depending on use, the Cover has an approximate lifespan of three weeks to one month on average, and allows the transfer of around 3,000 to 4,500 baguettes. The price of one bag is ultimately quite negligible given the service provided (a cost price of €0.002 per baguette).
After overhauling all of its communication (logo, website, trade shows, press, etc.), Panibag is now working on other projects, always in line with its values and vision: designing innovative, easy-to-use, economical and eco-friendly solutions that simplify bakers’ work. Discover MINERYA!
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