Original Article: https://www.bakingbusiness.com/articles/46645-harbar-balances-authenticity-and-clean-label-in-tortilla-line

Harbar also is pursuing innovation within the tortilla category. The company keeps a finger on the pulse of industry trends, one of which is a shrinking of tortilla sizes.

“l see more opportunity for smaller versions of tortillas to enable tacos as opposed to burritos” Mr. Montemayor said. “The burrito is here to stay, but I think most folks are feeling now that they can do tacos easier, and it’s kind of fun because you can eat a smaller portion and have variety rather than having one big portion of one particular dish.”

Mr. Montemayor also sees more tortillas with health and wellness attributes, such as those made with sprouted grains.

“General health trends are impacting the tortilla market”, Mr. Montemayor said. “The other trend I see is that the industry is trying to make sure the quality keeps improving. We certainly are, and we think there’s something to be said about a tortilla that tastes good even on its own. It’s not only something you put cheese and Sauce in, it’s something you should be able to eat by itself as well.

While Harbar is committed to the constant improvement of its products, Mr. Montemayor said the company must always focus on the fundamentals.

“We like to try to do something new with the tortilla Category, but we also want to be able to speak to the basics” he said. “It’s always very tempting to do a new flavor or a tortilla with a new nutritional component and so on…but there’s some basics you want to cover in the category. You want products to be flexible, and whatever the dish is, you want to guarantee a great taco experience or a great burrito experience or a great wrap experience. Sometimes it’s very easy to just focus on a particular attribute of the product because its new or fashionable, but at the end of the day we make tortillas, and they are a carrier for other ingredients.”

Creating those carriers in a great-tasting, simple and authentic Mexican way will always be at the heart of Harbar’s operations, Mr. Montemayor said. Since its inception, the company has remained in the hands of Mexican families committed to that cause.

“The concept of tortillas and high-quality tortillas has meaning in our family” he said. “My father has been in this industry for a lang time, and we’re following in the footsteps of his legacy. We will keep working on sharing this treasure of making a great tortilla and sharing it with consumers.’