baking+biscuit 2025-04 digital

Good news travels

Catalina Mihu, Editor-in-chief

Your commments or suggestions are always appreciated: e-mail: mihu@foodmultimedia.de

McDonald’s Japan has recently had to issue an official apology. An exciting, on-trend limited-edition offer included two Pokémon trading cards with every Happy Meal menu. It quickly became so popular that it not only caused enthusiasts to form hour-long queues to collect cards, but it also immediately led to overpurchasing. Videos were shared online showing entire bags of menus being discarded, with people buying them just for the cards. To make matters worse, resellers quickly saw the opportunity and massively bought even more menus to put up the cards for sale online. Banking on ongoing overwhelming demand, one eBay seller sells a promo pack of 10 cards from the collection – sealed, so their contents cannot be chosen, for EUR 206 (GBP 178 on the platform). By August 12, this seller has sold more than 1,300, which means at least 6,500 menus have been discarded (so far), in this case alone. Such offers are flooding the platform at the moment.

Bad news travels fast. As much as I would like this set, too, it is a known fact that Pokémon cards are frequently resold at overpriced values. And the frenzy around the promotion undoubtedly made the event lead to a serious firstworld waste problem. The campaign led to so much food being thrown away that it made the news rounds worldwide in the first weeks of August. The company issued a statement acknowledging it had mishandled the situation. “McDonald's does not tolerate the purchase of Happy Meals for the purpose of reselling, nor the wasting or disposal of food,” the announcement said, while also limiting the purchase of the meals to five per person. This is not the first offer leading to overpurchasing and waste for McDonald’s in Japan: the same thing happened in May, over different collectibles.

Limited editions are, essentially, a very good idea for brand engagement, boosting sales and presenting relevant, exciting experiences to consumers. I would argue that McDonald’s idea was a good one, too, and that sales are definitely not the only thing to any bakery, either. The company found ways to manage this kind of promotion so that they could bring only the good news the campaign intended in the future, without the waste: it will further limit purchases and will also work with selling platform operators to curb reselling, as Japan Times recently reported. Good news travels, too.

In this issue, we bring information about good news regarding several new innovations that help combat product waste in the bakery, and help with baking energy savings, or increase processing efficiency altogether. Some of which you will be able to see first-hand at IBIE, in September.

Have an excellent show, everyone! As always, we’d love to learn about your news, so we welcome your messages, anytime, to make news travel together.

Catalina Mihu

COVER STORIES

HIGHLIGHTS

A PERFECTIONIST IN DAVOS

Davos is located at an altitude of 1,560 meters in the Swiss Alps. The city is not only the highest in Europe and a world-renowned health resort; above all, it is chic, sophisticated, and expensive. Anyone who wants to survive here has to be able to deliver top performance. This also applies to Weber Bakery.

NO PFAS HERE!

Royal Kaak has been working on an innovative PFAS-free coating solution that can replace traditional fluoropolymer coatings, with excellent results.

THE SUM OF ALL SAVINGS

Accurate real-time information and complete process control help baking technology take one more step toward sustainable baking. 14

28

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

Key IBIE exhibitors share their latest developments and the innovations they bring to IBIE 2025. Here is the essential A-Z.

“SKATE WHERE THE HOCKEY PUCK IS GOING!”

Kwik Lok's new leadership talks packaging and packaging waste regulation, European and global market strategies, and the company’s advances. 44

BUNDY FAMILY VALUES

Gil Bundy, Bill Bundy, Bob Bundy and Tom Bundy together lead their family business, global leader Bundy Baking Solutions. They share a behind-thescenes view of its success.

06 Weber Bakery: A perfectionist in Davos

14 Baking efficiency: The sum of all savings

66 Schubert: In inspection, the images speak for themselves

PANS, COATINGS

20 Royal Kaak: No PFAS here!

IBIE SPECIAL

24 Preview: It’s showtime!

28 Exhibitor highlights: What happens in Vegas

44 Kwik Lok: “Skate where the hockey puck is going!”

60 Bundy Baking Solutions: Bundy family values, 60 years into the business

52 I. Pastries: FRITSCH Progressa pastry for bakery all-stars

54 II. Breads, rolls: RONDO Smart Bread Line for smart and stress-free sheeting

58 III. Sustainability: Verhoeven ‘gives loaf another chance‘ with Repeatloaf SCIENCE

72 Cleaning pipelines: Ultrasound monitoring

76 Dawn Foods: Around the world in four directions, with new global food trends

WEBER BAKERY

A perfectionist in Davos

Davos is located at an altitude of 1,560 meters in the Swiss Alps. The city is not only the highest in Europe and a world-renowned health resort; above all, it is chic, sophisticated, and expensive. Anyone who wants to survive here has to be able to deliver top performance. This also applies to Weber Bakery, which supplies almost all 4- to 5-star hotels and other discerning customers in the town.

+With a passion for his craft, Rolf Weber, Weber Bakery’s Managing Director, is a fourth-generation baker. He demands nothing less than excellence from himself, his employees and his suppliers. The Weber bakery has won numerous awards and was honored with the Bäckerkrone (Baker‘s Crown) in 2019. Rolf Weber also excels in the supreme discipline of the baking trade, baking with natural sourdough, at the highest level: his panettone is considered the best north of Italy. When someone like him writes a thank you letter to Dinkelsbühl about a bread roll production line, that’s reason enough to follow up on it.

Working two shifts during peak season

Anyone who wants to reach the 37-year-old master baker and trained chef in March will need patience. From the beginning of December to the end of March is peak season in Davos, when the 550-square-meter bakery at Promenade 148 in Davos Dorf operates in two shifts. It’s a good thing that the WP MINIROLL roll baking system was available for delivery, installation, and commissioning in a short time in the fall and was adapted to his requirements for particularly soft dough. Fortunately, he is happy to talk about his ideas of quality and perfection.

The Weber family has been baking in Davos Dorf since 1903. The fourth generation owners, brothers Rolf and Adrian, now run the business. Rolf is responsible for production, purchasing, hygiene, and sales to major customers, while Adrian takes care of administration and the restaurant.

WP MINIROLL:

The seasonal business, which is also located in a place that inspired Thomas Mann‘s novel ‘The Magic Mountain’, is tough and demands everything from employees, managers, and the family. The shop is open continuously from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the restaurant serves hot delicacies from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

”The system makes work easier for our employees, and we are also finished with roll production one to two hours earlier.”

Delivery makes up for more than 50% of the business

The upward trend has been particularly steep over the past eight years. In 2016, production was expanded from 150 to 550 square meters. In 2019, the business was awarded the Baker's Crown by the Swiss Bakers and Confectioners Association (SBC). And, in 2021, the range of natural sourdough breads and baked goods was introduced, as well as the ready-to-eat range of pre-baked, frozen breads and baked goods for local and regional top restaurants and hotels. Since 2022, the Weber bakery has also been supplying the Aurora bakery and pastry shop in Lenzerheide, about a 50-minute drive away. It supplies 35 hotels there. The delivery business

The new small roll line for the Weber bakery

The MINIROLL is a compact roll line with a small footprint, a relatively large variety of products and a high hourly output of up to 4,000 pieces in green mode. The system is ideal for artisan bakeries for the automated production of small baked goods with artisan quality and appearance.

The small bakery line is the all-rounder in the bakery. Long rolled rolls, smooth round rolls, also in cylindrical form, small baguettes, but also buns for hamburgers or hotdogs with a dough weight of 35 to 150 g are produced with high weight accuracy using the compact system.

The interchangeable pressure boards and the driven upper belt make this variety possible. Simple cleaning and automatic weight adjustment make product changeovers easier.

The MINIROLL is equipped with a dough-protecting drum molding system, an adjustable molding belt and variable pressing pressure. The bypass belt enables direct processing in eco mode, without a proofer. The program-controlled depositing device means that commercially available fermentation product carriers can be used. The intensive sterilization station, the stainless steel design and the simple removal for cleaning all dough-carrying parts ensure a high standard of hygiene.

The dough pieces can be processed directly via the side discharge

Rolf Weber, Managing Director, Weber Bakery

Bakery-Confectionery-Café Weber AG at a glance

Managing directors: Rolf and Adrian Weber

Employees: up to 45, including 19 in the bakery

Products: over 200, including diverse artisan breads, small baked goods such as rolls and buns, its trademark pear bread and fruit-and-nut loaf, as well as a variety of pastries, cakes and snacks

Website: www.weber-davos.ch

now accounts for over 50% of the bakery’s turnover. The other half is generated in the restaurant and in its own shop.

“Production is optimized in terms of business management and organization,” says Rolf Weber – after the WP MINIROLL roll production line was installed in November 2024. The entire range of rolls, small baked goods, and brioche buns is now produced with it – up to 14,000 pieces per day in peak season. The simple adjustment options and automatic weight adjustment make it easy to change products. “The system makes work easier for our employees, and we are also finished with roll production one to two hours earlier,” says Rolf Weber, who is convinced of the investment.

“The result is always what counts”

Previously, Rolf Weber‘s team had been struggling with the existing machine, which required extensive manual work to handle the bakery’s wide product range and short-term orders. The range includes small baked goods weighing between 34 and 130 g, in round and oblong shapes. Some products could not be produced on other machines due to their low weight.

With the MINIROLL, however, this is possible, as the doublepiston system of the MULTIMATIC molding machine allows

The WP MINIROLL is Weber Bakery's all-rounder for small baked goods. It produces small baked goods from 35 to 150 g

A hopper volume of up to 40 kg is used to feed the MINIROLL

Hygiene made easy: The hanger inserts (left) are made of easy-drying material and can be removed with a clip fastener

The small baked goods are removed directly onto trays and pushed into the rack trolley

Stand out in today’s evolving croissant market with custom baking trays and tin sets. Choose from a range of materials, mould types, and coatings to create pans tailored to your current products or new ideas.

for weights ranging from 35 to 150 g. This was not the only factor that convinced Rolf Weber during a test of the machine with his own doughs at the WP Baking Center in Dinkelsbühl.

He acknowledges the importance of the gentlest possible dough dividing and molding process for the quality of the baked goods. The MINIROLL is equipped with a drum molder system that is gentle on the dough, an adjustable molding belt and enables variable molding pressure. “The result is always the decisive factor,” says Rolf Weber. The result of his best-selling signature product for the catering and hotel industry convinced him – a round, 48-gram ‘balloon bun’. It’s a golden yellow, almost round cookie made from wheat flour.

Inter Europol acquires Croatian bakery

Croatian frozen bakery products manufacturer PAN-PEK is now part of the Inter Europol Group. Inter Europol, a Poland-based industry leader, acquired PAN-PEK from the portfolio of Enterprise Investors. Both sides agreed not to disclose the value of the transaction.

This is the Polish group’s first international acquisition. With it, Inter Europol Group strengthens its presence in the FMCG segment, as well as in the Balkans and Southern Europe. In recent years, Inter Europol has taken over the healthy food manufacturers Bezgluten and Primavika, as well as the Trimar bakery.

PAN-PEK was founded in 1992 and has developed into one of the leading frozen bakery product manufacturers in the Adriatic region. The company supplies retail chains such as Lidl, Kaufland, Konzum, and Spar and operates its own retail network with over 70 locations. PAN-PEK employs nearly 800 people, generated sales of over EUR 50 million in 2024, and operates two production facilities, in Zagreb and Đakovo.

PAN-PEK’s product range includes bread, pastries, snacks, sandwiches, and regional specialties, which are sold in

And there was something else that impressed the perfectionist: the weight accuracy it could achieve. Each piece of dough is the same size and weight.

The MINIROLL is also equipped with a side discharge. Dough pieces are discharged after intermediate proofing for further processing into pretzels, Danish pastries, or other baked goods. The Weber bakery processes very soft doughs (TA 175), which also have a strong tendency to stick due to the long dough resting time, of up to 48 hours. To avoid dough residues on the discharge conveyor belt, this was modified to meet Rolf Weber’s requirements. “It was great that a solution was found so quickly so that the system was perfect for us,” he says, impressed by this passion for perfection. +++

both the food retail and food service sectors. Enterprise Investors had been the majority shareholder of PAN-PEK since 2018 and acquired all shares in 2020. During this time, the company expanded its production capacity and began exporting to Italy and the US.

Inter Europol SA was founded in 1989. From a local bakery in Warsaw, the company has grown to become the leading supplier in the Polish bakery market, with over 1,500 employees. Inter Europol produces fresh-baked goods as well as frozen products, which are sold in the EU, Asia, and the Middle East.

“The acquisition of the PAN-PEK bakery represents another significant step in implementing our growth strategy. For several years, we have been consistently developing the Inter Europol Group, focused on the production of healthy food. As with our previous acquisitions of Bezgluten, Primavika and Trimar, our goal is to continue and further develop our business while maintaining the unique character of the acquired company and strengthening its market position,” Inter Europol shared in an announcement. +++

Baker & Baker reports over EUR 90 m profit in 2024

Baker & Baker’s revenue grew to EUR 623.5 m last year, and its gross profit recorded a ‘robust growth’ of 7.5%, reaching EUR 90.1 m, according to the company’s financial results. The adjusted EBITDA increased to EUR 32.7 m. Baker & Baker continued to strengthen its European operations with approximately EUR 14 million invested during the year in productivity, growth, and sustenance projects across its 12 manufacturing sites. These include a significant investment at the business’s Delmenhorst site in Germany to improve the management and filtration of palm oil across the site’s doughnut lines. This project will help save costs in addition to its positive sustainability impact, the company reports. Baker & Baker also invested in the UK’s Bradford site, where it installed a new chocolate system, allowing the site to diversify its product offering. This paved the way for the launch of three new products into continental Europe – a Milka chocolate cluster, Milka cookies and a Milka chocolate-topped brownie. This product range has already seen strong initial growth in France during the first half of 2025. Baker & Baker’s German business moved to a new office in the Überseestadt district of Bremen last year. The modern office, also featuring a test bakery, offers an attractive hub for hosting customers and demonstrating the business’s capabilities, the company anticipates.

New product development

A range of new products were launched in 2024, including the introduction of the premium Côte d’Or brand for the first time in European fresh bakery, building on the Group’s licensing partnership with Mondelēz. Côte d’Or muffins

ARYZTA H1 revenue exceeds EUR 1 billion

With a revenue increase of 3%, reaching EUR 1.09 billion, ARYZTA enjoyed organic growth of 2.8%, driven by a strong second quarter (4%), and is on track to reach its 2025 goals, the company announced. In 2025, ARYZTA targets a low to mid-single digit organic growth.

The H1 profitability performance was resilient despite a more cost-conscious consumer: the company’s EBITDA increased by 0.5 % to EUR 150.5m.

Innovation accounted for around 18% of the company’s revenue in H1 2025.

and doughnuts were launched into the Benelux markets in late 2024. Baker & Baker has also developed its broader footprint, growing its customer base across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern markets.

Matthew Acheson, CEO, commented: “Baker & Baker remains a clear leader in the American Sweet Bakery category in Europe, and our customers trust our expertise and market insight to drive sales across the retail and food service channels. We are pleased to have delivered another year of solid financial performance across the Group, despite facing a series of geopolitical headwinds and fluctuating consumer confidence. 2024 saw continued inflation throughout the bakery industry, most notably in the price of cocoa, which has affected many bakery categories.” +++

All channels achieved growth in Europe, led by QSR and Other Foodservice. The new laminated line in Switzerland was commissioned in Q2. Work is progressing on the new artisan bread line in Germany, which is expected to come online in Q3, and plans are advancing on the new laminated line in Poland. Performance significantly increased in the rest of the world over the period under review, as both QSR and Other Foodservice achieved solid sequential improvement in quarterly performance. +++

The sum of all savings

Accurate real-time information and complete process control help baking technology take one more step toward sustainable baking.

+The first step to profitable sustainability is managing the energy used for baking. Bakeries have several ways to approach and plan their improvement efforts. Staff training, audits and optimized scheduling are often the on-switch to start savings. The next steps include better controls, better insulation, or heat recovery systems. For another level of commitment (and investments), projects to improve baking efficiency can bring even bigger savings, by introducing the latest generation equipment, retrofitting existing systems with improved features, or smart tools and services for tighter process controls and continuous adjustments. Combining the most beneficial opportunities and investments can offer double-digit energy savings.

AMF Bakery Systems: Sustainability as a Service

New-generation ovens come with truly smart features for fully automated adjustments in continuous, high-volume production, where optimizations amount to sizeable savings. New AMF Den Boer ovens, for example, incorporate the Sustainable Oven Service (SOS) as a standard feature that continuously monitors how the oven is used and how it is performing in the process. AMF underlines: “It was developed in response to energy and labor challenges, and tested on AMF ovens. In the last three years, it has been

The Sustainable Oven Service

+ Achieves savings of up to 20% on natural gas

+ Reduces CO 2 emissions by up to 20%

+ Lowers waste

+ Improves product quality and consistency

incorporated in more than 20 ovens all over the world and has since been used in practice.”

The SOS is a solution that turns an oven into a smart and interconnected machine: once installed, the oven is connected and data is sent to the AMF cloud via a secure, encrypted connection. An algorithm processes this data, combining analytics with AI

and expert recommendations, to prepare real-time reports and efficiency improvement guidelines.

Combining the capabilities of the newly developed service with smart monitoring, modulating burners and electric elements instead of the traditional on/off settings, the oven can be balanced to its optimal setup and perform at its best. With the SOS, up to 20% savings on natural gas use in tunnel and bakery ovens can be achieved, AMF metrics show.

In addition, the SOS subscription also includes a yearly pressure cooker oven tuning. After onboarding the oven in the SOS and a benchmark month has been recorded, “A two-month pressure cooker period starts, collaborating very closely with the bakery’s team to tune the oven to its optimal

configuration. In these two months, customers receive immediate recommendations, weekly reports, and biweekly calls with AMF oven experts, for actions with immediate results in the process. The final recommendations are reported at the end of the pressure cooker period. After this tuning period, they will have quarterly remote review sessions with one of our oven experts to keep up with the performance and discuss further improvements,” AMF specialists explain. The process entails intensive optimization of the oven’s configuration, behavior and throughput, combining AI and expert input.

“Several features, including the SOS, can be retrofitted onto existing ovens, as well as modulating hydrogen burners, modulating burners and electric elements control upgrades. Some options, however, can only be provided with new ovens. In this category, full SOS integration can be expected, alongside advanced insulation and hybrid modules,” AMF Bakery Systems notes.

AMF can support achieving significant savings by optimizing the oven’s configuration, fine-tuning the baking process on the line and recommending optimized behavioral changes based on data-driven insights provided by the SOS.

Fitting the profile

Existing ovens of all types can receive improvements to help lower the energy used for baking. In the case of gas ovens, for instance, profiling systems can measure and analyze the baking process comprehensively, for oven optimization opportunities. AMF’s SOS can be put to work in conjunction with Reading Thermal’s latest profiler, the SCORPION ® 2 Profiling System, for instance, to maximize the oven’s performance potential.

The SCORPION measures all the key baking parameters: temperature, airflow, heat flux, and humidity. The device’s temperature sensor array

The SCORPION ® 2 Profiling System

+ Heat flux sensor

+ SORPION 2 Data Logger

+ Temperature sensor array

+ Air Velocity sensor array

+ Digital humidity sensor

+ R&D Smart Sensor

measures the temperature surrounding the product, in fixed positions across the conveyor, for a complete picture throughout the width and length of the oven. The SCORPION’s air velocity sensor generates profiles that can help find airflow differences between baking zones and unwanted air currents at the entrance or exit of the oven that cause inconsistent baking. In addition, the heat flux sensor measures the convective and radiant heat fluxes (again, at the level where products are). At the same time, the SCORPION ® 2’s humidity sensor records the absolute moisture content of the thermal environment in both heating and cooling processes.

The result: optimized vapor exhaust, minimized waste at start-up and cool down, improved insulation, optimized occupancy rate, and re-use energy in warm water systems for cleaning.

For electric ovens, options that can amount to considerable savings can include upgrading the heating elements, using real-time monitoring and enhancing insulation. Hybrid ovens that combine gas and electric modules can also offer room for improvement: a first aspect to consider in this case could be automating the burner’s management. An integrated heat exchanger system that channels the energy into the hot water system is another opportunity.

Green baking

One of the moment’s most frequent sustainability moves has undoubtedly been converting from gas-fired ovens

to a solution that is economically viable and environmentally friendly, at the same time. Gas burners are no longer the default choice, with electric and hybrid technologies sparking interest and increasingly being adopted. AMF can convert its gas ovens to the option that makes the most sense for the market and the bakery, following a feasibility assessment. The design is planned to carry out the installation, including electrical upgrades, and staff training. For example, correct cable management is vital to switching to electricity. In this scenario, “Follow local codes, integrate control systems, make sufficient kWhE available and ensure the right dimension cables are in place,” AMF recommends.

New: energy monitoring program by RBS

Reading Bakery Systems recently rolled out its latest development supporting baking efficiency – a new energy monitoring program. The RBSConnect Cloud program focuses on helping bakeries monitor, analyze, and reduce their energy usage across the production process. The program was developed by RBS control engineers in collaboration with bakeries, with concrete feedback from different production environments. “By working closely with bakers, we gained a better

understanding of their goals and the challenges they face around energy use and efficiency,” RBS specialists detail. RBS shaped the program to be practical and easy to use in day-to-day operations.

RBS Connect Cloud program

Key smart features include:

+ Real-time energy dashboards that visualize consumption by zone

+ Predictive analytics that recommend adjustments to balance energy usage and product quality

+ Automated alerts for unusual energy patterns

The program integrates advanced sensor technology and real-time data analytics to provide bakers with visibility into where energy is consumed. In addition, using this data, it identifies opportunities to optimize processes to both lower emissions and reduce baking costs. “The ultimate goal is to support customers in achieving their efficiency and sustainability targets without compromising product quality or throughput,” RBS highlights.

The smart program supports measurement-based sustainability improvements,

thanks to key features including realime energy dashboards for round-theclock consumption monitoring. It also compiles predictive analytics to recommend the adjustments needed to balance energy usage and product quality. When unusual energy patterns are detected, the program also issues automated alerts recommending appropriate action, which can include maintenance procedures.

The RBSConnect Cloud program can be used by any bakery or snack food manufacturer. Operations of all sizes and specializations can benefit from it, whether they are running legacy ovens or modern systems. It uses sensors and software to measure critical parameters and then translates this data into insights for process knowledge and optimization.

RBS has seen promising results in production, starting with an increase in the consistency of the product quality, thanks to real-time data and detailed access to the overall process. Since the program is able to detect any energy inefficiencies or equipment issues early, using the data to coursecorrect has led to reduced downtimes.

In addition, the program has been proving helpful in supporting greater operator and management confidence, thanks to easy-to-understand dashboards and trend information.

RBS also combines these advanced technologies – RBSConnect and the SCORPION ® 2 Profiling System – with comprehensive aftermarket services for complete efficiency solutions. “For instance, our thermal engineers can analyze SCORPION ® data to recommend changes in oven settings that reduce energy use while improving throughput and maintaining product quality,” RBS illustrates. The company also trains operators, visits clients for on-location optimizations and offers service programs to ensure all improvements are sustained over time.

© RBS

New Amigos

Middleby Bakery’s Swedish oven specialist, Sveba Dahlen, recently perfected its own new efficiency improvements. At iba this spring, the company introduced SD Amigo, a smart control panel that is built to simplify operations and keep track of weekly schedules, as well as time settings. In addition, it also, “Saves parameter adjustments during power outages – an invaluable feature for efficient baking,” Sveba highlights.

“With SD Amigo, we have created a control panel that truly makes bakers' daily work easier. We know that time is crucial in a bakery, which is why we focused on simplicity, smart and smooth basic functions, and an intuitive user experience – all included as standard with every new deck oven purchase,” says Åsa Ericsson, Marketing Manager, Sveba Dahlen.

Smart solutions hold real potential in the bakery. Sveba Dahlen also presented its latest intelligent solution dedicated to energy management together with the Danish company Exodraft. It is a smart add-on that can be used for all kind of bakery ovens and tunnel ovens to help optimize their energy use by minimizing waste.

It features the latest advancements in heat recovery technology and not only reduces energy consumption and operating costs, but also lowers CO 2 emissions. “By utilizing excess heat from the baking process, the Exodraft solution creates a more sustainable and cost-effective energy solution for the bakery,” the company underscores.

The project was driven by several key issues, from stricter demands for more climate-conscious solutions, to rising energy costs, carbon footprint management and increasing efficiency in baking. The Exodraft system is complete with a circulation pump and can be mounted on existing ovens to enable smarter heating. Sveba Dahlen ensures seamless integration for any type of setup, making it available for bakery ovens in both electric, oil and gas versions.

The Exodraft solution helps recover up to 90% of the flue gas heat and operates continuously, with bypass systems in place to ensure no interruptions. It is also designed with removable heat exchangers for easy maintenance and to be compatible with new and existing ovens.

The recovered energy can be channeled into multiple uses in the bakery:

for cleaning, for heating, for absorption chillers, to preheat the ovens, in offices, or other production processes. It can also be sold, the company notes.

In addition, Sveba Connect cloud solution can help make the Exodraft even smarter. Sveba Connect monitors all the ovens that are connected to it from any device, collecting information about the usage and performance of each through real-time statistics and data about the oven’s energy consumption, running times and downtimes, with a complete history of system shutdown and turning on cycles.

The data gathered can be downloaded to local systems and used to calculate running costs and optimize procedures. The Sveba Connect also allows recipes to be shared between ovens securely and downloaded for uniform and fast utilization.

There are several ways available to approach baking efficiency, and the new developments show a clear trend: smart solutions work for bakeries and make day-to-day operations easier. The right choice is available for each type of oven, bakery or network, and production environment. +++

Exodraft heat recovery system for Sveba Dahlen bakery ovens

Available setups:

+ SP80 Unit: Top-mounted with hydraulic system, circulation pump, three-way valve, and piping.

+ BP250 Unit: Wall-mounted with water circuit, pump, and bypass damper – ideal where overhead space is limited.

COME SEE THE LATEST BAKERY INNOVATIONS FROM INTRALOX

Every bakery conveyance solution Intralox offers is the best in its class. And we offer them all.

September 14–17  | Booth 2695, West Hall

No PFAS here!

In anticipation of EU regulations setting a timeline and the terms of managing PFAS in manufacturing, consumers and bakers are ready to do without them. Royal Kaak has been working on an innovative PFAS-free coating solution, developed at its facilities in France, that can replace traditional fluoropolymer coatings, with excellent results.

+While a segment of coatings free of PFAS has been around for a long time, coating manufacturers have been working on developing advanced solutions in recent years, in search of results that would closely match the excellent qualities of their fluoropolymer counterparts, for general use in bakeries.

Sustainability advances

Royal Kaak has integrated sustainability and climate change mindfulness into its work and solutions it develops for years. “Our vision for the future is Food without Footprint and we strive for integrated production lines that leave no ecological footprint,” says Jordy te Koppele, Business Development Manager. This concept has been driving the Dutch company’s operations and R&D priorities for over a decade. Developments in 3D metal printing and the iBakeCare platform are some of the sustainability-focused solutions in which Kaak has invested. So are advances in finding alternatives to fluoropolymer coatings: “The first and foremost priorities here were health and the environment, but what also emerged was that this coating can be used to bake products differently in our ovens, which also results in a lower footprint during production. In this way, production is not as polluting as when using a fluorpolymer coating,” te Koppele explains.

Ahead of the details regarding a timeline for phasing out PFAS and what the regulation will mean for the baking industry, Royal Kaak has been researching alternatives for PFAS-free coatings extensively. The goal was to provide a solution that was on par with existing coatings in functionality and, importantly, in cost over time, too.

Challenges in removing PFAS

Replicating the non-stick qualities of fluoropolymers is not an easy task. Innovations have been bridging this gap in functionality and in the types of applications where they can be used. But, an important hurdle, perhaps the biggest Kaak observed, was in delivering a comparable lifetime for a PFAS-free coating. In its R&D work, Royal Kaak has been getting closer and closer to that goal. It has been perfecting

a solution that compensates for a slightly shorter lifespan (only around 20%, depending on the baking process/product) with lower costs for the new coating. There are no changes to the baking process, no compromises in the quality or variety of the end products.

It’s also worth noting that the number of cycles is not the most accurate means of comparison: the new coating might last slightly less, but it is also cheaper. “The goal is to achieve the same cost per release as with the current coatings,” the specialist underlines. In addition, the utilization also dictates how long a coating will remain intact, whether it’s used for proofing or baking, for products with a hard crust, or for pastries, etc. – an accurate generalization is not straightforward, as pan tracking can only tell one part of the story. The day-and-night difference, however, is in the materials incorporated in the formulation – no substances in the PFAS family were used in the making of the new coating.

A reliable solution emerges

It has been an extensive development project: “We focused on the properties that really matter in industrial bakery environments. One of the most important properties is a low coefficient of friction, which ensures a smooth release and less accumulation of dirt. Another key topic is the high abrasion resistance; this is essential for pans where a hard crust is scraped off 10 times a day and is constantly used

in abrasive conditions. In addition, temperature resistance ensures performance under prolonged exposure to high oven temperatures, while chemical resistance provides protection against cleaning agents and other substances used in the production process. This combination makes the coating a reliable and durable choice for bakery production lines,” Jordy te Koppele explains.

Testing also included robotic water scoring, brushing a coated product carrier and UV resistance to assess how the coating behaves in different production processes. E.g. when in contact with high-pressure water jets and mechanical wear on the coating, simulating years of use.

Kaak’s Multi-Sol coating checked all testing boxes with flying colors. Made only with raw materials that do not contain any of the substances listed on the PFAS restriction lists published by the European Union, the formulation was made in strict compliance with the regulations. Furthermore, material suppliers were thoroughly screened and documented, to guarantee the PFAS-free claim.

The coating performs very well in day-to-day use, with no changes in the regular processing and handling. Its functionality is optimized when used in combination with a release agent or greasing product – although it is not mandatory to include them in order to use bakeware with this coating reliably. The specialist explains: “When switching to PFAS-free coatings, the use of release agents is indeed

”Our

customers are enthusiastic after using this new coating; in fact, several customers who started testing with this new coating then converted their complete set, or the product for which they had the best results.

Despite the usual need for time and a mental shift to accept new innovations, the response was remarkably positive.”

Jordy

te Koppele, Business Development Manager, Royal Kaak

a concern. This is why we not only developed a sustainable coating, but also entered into a strategic partnership with Dübör, the specialist in release agents and grease application systems. By using a smart greasing machine, the consumption of release agents can be greatly reduced. Practice shows that, if applied properly, the extra costs are minimal and are more than offset by the benefits in terms of food safety, sustainability and longer life of baking pans.”

It can be used to bake anything from cake to tin bread or pizza, as well as frozen goods and greasy products, testing has shown. Moreover, some early adopters are already using the coating in production. From bakeries that are testing a few product ranges or types of trays to companies that have already replaced their entire stock of bakeware with PFAS-free coating – coatings have been replaced on both straps with pans and flat baking trays, even before the switch becomes mandatory. In the Netherlands, even supermarket bakeries are demanding PFAS-free alternatives, te Koppele notes.

Kaak offers guidance for the utilization of coated product carriers, which becomes more actual again when implementing a new type of coating. Since it can be counterproductive to swap the entire portfolio in one move, testing on one line (under normal production settings) is a good way to start validating this new solution.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of thousands of synthetic chemicals that are used throughout society. However, they are increasingly detected as environmental pollutants and some are linked to negative effects on human health. They all contain carbon-fluorine bonds, which are one of the strongest chemical bonds in organic chemistry. This means that they resist degradation when used and also in the environment.

PFAS awareness

Everyone in the Netherlands has various types of PFAS in their blood, in amounts that exceed health-based guidance values in most cases, according to measurements from blood samples from the population, taken between 2016 and 2017. This is the result of a year-long study carried out by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), an agency of the Netherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

RIVM examined 28 different PFAS in nearly 1,500 blood samples, for a quantitative study that would help form a reliable overview.

“At least seven different types of PFAS were found in almost all samples (PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUnDA, PFHxS, PFHpS and PFOS). Five of the substances tested were not detected in any of the samples. PFOS was the most commonly found PFAS in the blood, followed by

From Kaak’s experience, European bakeries are already transitioning: “Our customers are enthusiastic after using this new coating; in fact, several customers who started testing with this new coating then converted their complete set, or the product for which they had the best results. Despite the usual need for time and a mental shift to accept new innovations, the response was remarkably positive,” te Koppele shares. Kaak Coating Service has also developed its own process for recoating, to anticipate future needs.

Research makes perfect

The growing interest in PFAS-free coatings is not only driven by upcoming EU legislation, but mainly by the need to answer increased awareness around health and environmental safety. Managing coating compounds is only an aspect of a broader wave of changes, all meant to improve sustainability.

For Royal Kaak Bakeware and Royal Kaak Coating Service specialists, PFAS-free coatings are an ongoing project, after the newly released solution. And, beyond that, the company provides support on any related processes, from compatible greasing systems, to automated washing solutions, up to consultancy on the entire process chain, for improvements. Jordy te Koppele emphasizes: “The demand is shifting from a product-based approach to a partnershipbased model to help bakeries optimize their operational efficiency.” It’s an open dialogue that benefits both solution development and production planning. +++

Most PFAS are also easily transported in the environment covering long distances away from the source of their release. PFAS have been frequently observed to contaminate groundwater, surface water and soil. Cleaning up polluted sites is technically difficult and costly. If releases continue, they will continue to accumulate in the environment, drinking water and food.

European Chemicals Agency, an agency of the European Union

PFOA,” RVIM announced the results of its research. The organization is now testing samples from 2025, to understand if the measures taken to reduce the population’s exposure have had the intended effect. The topic has received widespread media attention recently, with this study bringing a new, detailed outlook of the Netherlands. Elsewhere in Europe, other studies show a similar reality: perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), for instance, is widespread throughout European waters, often exceeding regulatory threshold levels set to avoid potential risk to human health and the environment, according to data from the European Environment Agency at the end of 2024. Implementation of EU-wide regulation is being drafted for actionable measures to define a more sustainable manufacturing industry.

Source:

It’s showtime!

With rising anticipations, IBIE prepares to dazzle with a new installment, in true Las Vegas fashion. The time to pick events and place timeslots in agendas is here.

+ The Baking Expo™ planned a new edition packed with the excitement of competitions, creativity and innovation highlights, industry awards and learning experiences.

For the first time, IBIE registrations come with full access to IBIEducate, the expo’s most comprehensive education program yet, taking place on September 13. More than 250 sessions, workshops, and demonstrations are planned, covering essential industry topics such as production efficiency, ingredient innovations, and retail strategies, packed in practical, focused learning sessions.

The training bootcamp experience

Industry Trends & Advancements are among the key topics at IBIE this year, with an impressive lineup of 58 sessions to choose from. A diverse list of interesting topics are available, such as: ‘From Field to Flour: How AI is Revolutionizing Wheat & Baking Consistency’ (Lilach Aviad, Equinom), ‘Food safety and traceability’ (Earl Arnold – AIB International), ‘Intelligent energy consumption monitoring in industrial bakeries’ (Andrii Bulatob, AMF Bakery Systems), ‘The Art and Science of Prehydration: Elevating Artisan Bread Quality’ (Christian Faber, David Rodrigues – Zeppelin Systems), ‘Roadmap to Net Zero – Discovering Your ClosedLoop Waste Energy Pathway’ (Scott Houtz – Air Management Technologies), ‘Enhancing Laminated Doughs: The Role of European-style Margarine in the production of Croissants, Danish & Puff Doughs’ (Daniella Alejo Lucas – Richardson Food & Ingredients).

“IBIE has always set the standard for innovation in the global baking industry,” said Jorge Zarate, IBIE Chair and Grupo Bimbo Chief Supply Chain Officer. “For IBIE 2025, we’re elevating the experience by offering full access to our expanded IBIEducate program. Every attendee will have the opportunity to engage with the most robust education offering in the industry – designed to deliver practical insights and strategies that can drive immediate business growth. It’s an opportunity to learn, connect, and apply new knowledge that will make a lasting impact.”

Latin America in the spotlight

Chef Talks debuts at IBIE 2025, in partnership with Mexipan – Latin America’s leading baking trade show. The dynamic speaker series is known for spotlighting culinary innovation and industry dialogue, the organizer highlights. It is a part of IBIEducate’s growing international programming.

Recognized across Mexico and Latin America as a creative platform for dialogue, inspiration and professional development, Chef Talks features some of the region’s most respected chefs, pastry artisans and baking entrepreneurs. They will share their perspectives on industry trends, product development, sustainability and more. IBIE visitors will be able to find inspiration from new voices and ideas, the organizers anticipate. This initiative is part of IBIE’s broader effort to serve the global baking industry through multilingual learning opportunities and inclusive access to education resources. This is why IBIEducate 2025 will feature more sessions in Spanish than ever before, with select

programming – including Chef Talks – offered with real-time translation and transcription through the Wordly app. The app will be freely available to attendees in 64 languages, accessible via QR codes, which will be displayed throughout the venue.

“We’re honored to collaborate with IBIE to bring Chef Talks to a global stage,” said Amador Méndez, president of the National Association of Suppliers of the Bread Industry (ANPROPAN) and Mexipan. “Our mission has always been to spark conversations that connect creativity with industry advancement. By sharing Latin American culinary perspectives, we hope to foster mutual learning and deeper engagement across borders.”

International visitors are welcome

International visitors attending IBIE will find the US baking market focused on health-forward products, automation, sustainability, and storytelling-driven branding, the exhibition’s organizers anticipate: “Trends like functional ingredients, gluten-free and low-carb innovation, plant-based baking, and clean label reformulations are widely represented. The US is also pioneering pet-friendly and cannabis bakery categories, offering insights that are globally relevant.”

The main challenges for American bakers currently revolve around labor shortages, rising costs, supply chain issues and increasing regulatory complexity – solutions in these areas will be available at the stands and will be discussed in the education program. “Drawing from global markets with more integrated traceability, allergen and clean labeling, and sustainability standards can help American businesses stay ahead. International inspiration can also

support export readiness and inform process improvements,” IBIE welcomes international exchanges.

International trade challenges are affecting bakers worldwide. In addition, global supply chain volatility, and import/ export challenges continue to affect ingredient availability and pricing. “To adapt, bakeries are diversifying supplier networks, investing in production capabilities, and adopting more agile procurement practices,” IBIE’s organizer notes.

IBIE at a glance

+ The 2022 show saw a 25% increase in baker attendance compared to 2019

+ 20,000 baking industry professionals from around the world visited the last IBIE

+ International buyers accounted for 27% of participants

+ The 2025 show space is sold out

Sharp. Strong. Quality Blades.

IBIE 2025 industry segments

The moment’s leading trends in the US include high-protein and low-carb baked goods, probiotic-enriched breads, allergen-free formulations, and artisan-style products with premium ingredients. Hybrid formats, portion-controlled snacks, and indulgent-yet-functional treats are also growing. IBIE offers many opportunities for professional exchanges between worldwide visitors,

IBIE: Recommended tracks

For Artisan & Technical Bakers

+ Track: Baking Techniques and Innovations

New formulations, fermentation strategies and hands-on baking improvements.

+ Bonus: Cake/Cookie Decorating and Pastry for creative techniques and trends.

+ Recommended Sessions:

o Yeast 101 with Lesaffre

o Adding Rye Bread to Your Menu

o Wedding Cake Business: How to Work with Brides Without Stress

For Bakery Owners & Leaders

+ Track: Business Management and Strategy

Designed for decision-makers looking to drive growth, improve profitability, and future-proof operations.

+ Bonus: Sales and Marketing Strategies + Professional Development

+ Recommended Sessions:

o Retail Baking: How to Get Your Prices Right, Cut Waste

o Building a Culture of Great Service (Zingerman’s)

o Start-Up to Scale: Snack Bar Packaging Journey For Wholesale/Commercial Operations

+ Track: Operations and Efficiency

Focuses on automation, process logistics, and tech implementation.

+ Bonus: Sustainability and Environmental Practices + Food Safety and QA

+ Recommended Sessions:

o Robot as a Service

o Process Cooling and Freezing

o Germicidal Visible Light: Preventing Contamination

from education sessions with interactive formats, QuickBITES talks, show floor demos, pavilion lounges, and social events like The Rockin’ Pint concert. Dedicated areas such as the RBA Retail Bakers Center, Wholesale Bakers Center, Artisan Village, and International Pavilions provide even more opportunities for conversation and connection.

For R&D, Food Scientists & Innovators

+ Track: Product Development, Formulation and Customization

Explore new ingredients, reformulation strategies, allergen management, and label claims.

+ Bonus: Sustainability + Industry Trends

+ Recommended Sessions:

o Replacing Eggs in Cakes

o Baking with Probiotics for Gut Health

o Health Claims in Great-Tasting Bread with Enzymes For ESG, Regulatory or Sustainability Teams

+ Track: Sustainability and Environmental Practices

Addressing climate goals, energy use, and sustainable sourcing.

+ Bonus: Food Safety and QA + Operations

+ Recommended Sessions:

o Bake Sustainably and Eat Deliciously

o Upcycling and CO2 Reduction through Ingredients

o Innovations in Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization For Team Leaders and Trainers

+ Track: Workforce Development

From culture-building to inclusive hiring and leadership.

+ Bonus: Professional Development

+ Recommended Sessions:

o Baking with Autism

o A Different Look at Hiring – Working with Special Needs

o Cultivating a Thriving Bakery Culture For Spanish-speaking Professionals

+ Track: Presentado en Español

A selection of sessions fully delivered in Spanish for greater accessibility and regional relevance

Competitions and awards

The IBIE World Bread Awards USA will be held at IBIE, scheduled to take place together with the show, to attract a broader range of participants. The awards will feature as part of IBIE’s ‘Artisan Village’, providing participants with opportunities to engage in live demonstrations, tastings, and networking with top artisan bakers from around the world.

The Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, Americas selection, will also make its debut at IBIE this year. The national teams from Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and the US will compete in three categories: Bakery, Viennoiserie, and Artistic Bread Showpiece. The top two teams will go on to represent the Americas at the World Cup of Baking in Paris.

Another new entry in the competition program is the Panettone World Cup, Americas selection, for pastry chefs from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela and Uruguay. They will compete in two categories: traditional and chocolate. The winners will represent their country in the world final in Milan, Italy, in November 2026.

The World Bread Awards USA returns to IBIE to celebrate exceptional loaves. Creations across 13 product categories, including baguettes, bagels, sourdough, and flatbread, will enter the competition.

Pillsbury’s Creative Cake Decorating Competition consists of four categories: wedding cake, rolled fondant, sculpted cake and buttercream. Six teams of elite professional cake decorators will challenge each other during one of baking’s most prestigious competitions.

Established in 2010, the BEST in Baking industry awards recognize suppliers and bakeries across a comprehensive list of categories, from sustainability, workforce development and sanitation to packaging innovation, plant efficiency, and automation/robotics. This year’s wholesale bakeries nominated in the plant ‘plant efficiency’ category (equipment, ingredients, packaging, technology, or another process not related to automation or robotics that improves operational efficiency) include: Bimbo Bakeries USA, acknowledged for its Baked for Nature: Strategic Energy Management and Net Zero Carbon (top honors); Aspire Bakeries, recognized for its Green Champion Program & Energy Efficiency Focus, and Bimbo Canada – for its ZERO Loss Strategy. The ‘ Automation & Robotics’ category recognizes equipment or other technology that automates a manual process, improving throughput and reducing labor requirements. New Horizons Baking Co. receives top honors for its Smart Autonomous Bun Production System (SABPS), while Bimbo Bakeries USA is awarded for its Digital Transformation & New Manufacturing Management Model. +++

TECHNOLOGY MEETS BAKER‘S CRAFT.

THE EFFICIENT DOUGH SHEETING LINE Artisan SFE EC

The compact Artisan SFE EC is a highly efficient dough sheeting line in “Easy Clean“ design. With endless dough sheet generation and a capacity of up to 9,000 pieces per hour in sixrow operation, the Artisan SFE EC is the ideal solution for your commercial-scale production.

FOR OPTIMIZED CLEANING Easy Clean Design »EC«

Save valuable time for cleaning processes and product changes: The innovative „Easy Clean“ design with its new frame structure ensures optimized hygiene and accessibility.

What happens in Vegas

Key IBIE exhibitors share their latest developments and the innovations they bring to IBIE 2025. Here are some of the essential A-Z.

AMF Bakery Systems

AMF Fusion will showcase the latest in horizontal batch mixing at booth #3801, unveiling the new, robust Open Frame Tilt Bowl Mixer (OFTBM) designed for strength, ease of cleaning, and improved accessibility. The portfolio of SNAX Sigma Arm Mixers, designed for snack foods, is also on display. AMF Fusion and AMF’s Bakery Intelligence team will also demonstrate the updated Dough Guardian+ vision technology, designed to help monitor the mixing process.

At booth #3500, AMF automation technologies take center stage, including new AMF Flex and AMF Tromp make-up technologies such as the AMF Tromp Target Glazer and the modular AMF Tromp Pizza Topping Line designed for precision sauce and topping placement.

AMF BakeTech and AMF Den Boer showcase the latest sustainable baking technologies, including the award-winning hybrid baking and hydrogen burner technologies, and the Sustainable Oven Service for more energy-efficient baking. AMF Convay will present its sanitary belt designs that can be used from mixer to marketplace applications. AMF Workhorse and the Bakery Intelligence team will demonstrate the new digital twin technology to support testing of new equipment and reducing installation time.

AMF will also arrange virtual tours of the new Puratos Industrial Pilot Bakery - powered by AMF, helping customers reduce operational disruption while accelerating innovation.

ANKO

ANKO is showcasing its SD-97W Automatic Encrusting Machine, with a focus on its application for producing energy balls, a trending product in the health and snack food category, popular in the US. Live demonstrations will show how the equipment can handle a wide variety of textures and inclusions, such as oats, chia seeds and nut butters.

ANKO recently launched the world’s first machine capable of mass-producing Punjabi samosas in their traditional pyramid shape, with just two operators needed at the forming end, the company shares. The system features a fully in-house developed mechanism that sequentially folds the samosa pastry, stuffs the filling, and seals it automatically. The company will also present new integrated food production lines for flatbread production. The complete system integration covers every stage, with tooling flexibility designed to support regional variations and recipe-specific adjustments.

Anton Paar/Brabender

The company will showcase the newly launched Brabender ExtensoGraph, a next-generation solution for dough extensibility and processing analysis, featuring an integrated PC with MetaBridge software. The machine is available as a compact unit or as modular components to fit various lab setups. “With innovations like ultrasonic-controlled humidity, automated test initiation, and environmental monitoring via the Climate Logger, the ExtensoGraph ensures high reproducibility and precision,” the company explains. The stand will highlight the critical importance of flour and dough rheology for consistent, high-quality baked goods. “Anton Paar and Brabender, now united under the Anton Paar umbrella, offer the most comprehensive range of flour, dough, and starch analysis solutions available on the market today,” Anton Paar USA underlines. From grain milling and moisture content to dough rheology, gluten performance, starch gelatinization, and process integration, every critical step in the quality control and product development chain is covered.

West Hall North Hall

Ashworth

Ashworth introduces an expanded portfolio of plastic conveyor belt solutions, in addition to a new heavy-duty metal conveyor belt. New launches will be unveiled at the show, including a Heavy-Duty Small Radius Omni-Grid ® 360 Weld. With the highest tension-rated belt in the small radius belt market (400 pounds), it is the first of its kind, Ashworth anticipates. “Combined with its patented zero-tension, 360 buttonless weld, it offers improved durability, additional strength, is easy to clean, and can increase belt life,” the company highlights. The Ashworth EZ Splice ® technology will also make its debut, offering the strength of metal with the simplicity of plastic belting – no welder required. “As we continue to expand upon our plastic belt solutions and innovate our metal belt offerings, Ashworth Bros., Inc. offers a one-stop solution for all your conveyor belt and maintenance needs,” the company highlights.

Baker Perkins, a brand of Coperion

For the cookie industry, Coperion will showcase the full range of Baker Perkins Wirecuts and Rotary Moulders, including a new Frozen Dough Mini machine. These versatile machines can make a variety of products such as cookies, mini cookies, high-inclusion cookies, frozen dough cookies, bulk-packed dough, bars, and more. Other Baker Perkins equipment on display will include the MultiTex4 Bread Moulder and Seeder, for bread production.

BAKON, a brand of Coperion

Alongside Unifiller technologies, Bakon solutions will be on display in the downstream zone of the Coperion booth, where the group's brands will showcase their capabilities in baked goods. Bakon technologies include top-quality spraying, decorating and ultrasonic cutting machines for all bakery applications.

BENEO

BENEO will bring a wide variety of its natural and non-GMO functional ingredients to IBIE. There will be a special focus on Orafti ® β -Fit, a 100% wholegrain, high fiber barley flour, which is an innovation in heart health as it provides an industry-leading source of beta-glucan fiber, significantly higher than conventional cereal flours. This allows FDA-approved heart-health claims to be made on-pack, in a more cost-efficient way.

Also front and center is BENEO’s clean-label faba bean protein concentrate, popular for baked goods, cereals, and snacks, and its portfolio of rice ingredients (including protein, starches, and flours), for gluten-free specialties with excellent taste and texture. “Combining faba bean and rice protein allows the achievement of a complete essential amino acids profile,” BENEO explains.

Unifying technologies

Unlocking possibilities

Coperion unites the leading technology brands in food manufacturing to deliver innovative system solutions for your bakery.

Technology for:

• Systems & Ingredient Automation

• Fermentation, Mixing, Forming & Dividing

• Dosing, Decorating & Cutting

Bundy Baking Solutions

At IBIE, Bundy Baking Solutions will highlight its extensive bakeware range and related solutions, highlighting its newest developments and case studies for ePAN ®designs, non-PFAS formula coatings, Integra release agents, and the award-winning AccuSpray Pan Oiler. “At Bundy Baking Solutions, we’re constantly innovating to keep up with the demands of modern baking operations. From smarter pans and advanced coatings to expert release agent formulas and refurbishment services, our products are always designed with our customer's bakery in mind and how we can deliver solutions that help them bake more efficiently,” the company shares.

Sustainable baking solutions and new bakeware innovations will take center stage at the stand in Las Vegas. The Bundy family of companies encompasses the following brands, to name a few: American Pan, AccuSpray, Chicago Metallic, Pan Glo, and Synova.

Corbion

Corbion introduces Ultra Fresh Plus 100, a new clean-label, enzymebased solution designed to simplify recipe formulation while maintaining product quality throughout the shelf life. “With this solution, bakers can replace conventional emulsifier solutions and maintain initial softness and sliceability,” Corbion explains. The ingredient specialist will also present an expanded natural mold inhibitor portfolio to provide more flexible options for formulators looking to scale with confidence. The company will also share trend insights on better-for-you innovation and the impact of GLP-1.

“Bakers are facing unprecedented headwinds and we are highlighting how our entire portfolio of freshness solutions, dough improvers and shelf life extension can help them evolve with the changing demand,” Corbion says.

Dawn Foods

At IBIE, Dawn Foods will highlight knowledge sharing. Its highly anticipated Global Trend Research will be presented, which analyzes shifts in the bakery landscape to identify opportunities for growth. Dawn Foods will share insights into its proprietary research and the four key trends it identified in a QuickBITE session held on September 14 on the Wholesale Bakers Stage 1 - West Hall (2:15 pm).

Ahead of this focused event, Dawn will highlight its insights during the IBIEducate learning day. On September 13, a knowledge-sharing seminar titled ‘From Oven to Opportunity: A Panel Discussion on the Future of Bakery Trends and Evolving Consumer Preference’ will be held. The panel will be moderated by Sarah Hickey and includes three panelists: Cathy Wisloski, Chef Melissa Trimmer and Erik Enyedy.

DIOSNA, a brand of Coperion

DIOSNA will showcase kneading and mixing machines for the baking industry, for both pre-dough and dough processing. DIOSNA will demonstrate their Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV)-based transport solution specifically for batch mixing systems in bakeries of all sizes. This scalable solution streamlines dough handling for increased efficiency and profitability.

West Hall

©Corbion

West Hall

ECD BakeWatch

At IBIE, ECD will showcase its M.O.L.E.® EV6 six-channel touchscreen thermal profiler and the V-M.O.L.E.® 2 thermal profiler, along with its BreadOMETER®, CakeOMETER®, and OvenBALANCER ™ sensors, designed for product and oven process control. These tools enable precise measurement of relative humidity in proofers, oven balancing within individual ovens or across multiple ovens in a facility, and more consistent temperature measurement for cakes, breads, cookies, and other baked goods. Visitors can also expect live, on-demand demonstrations of any of the process control tools at the stand. In addition to ECD’s OvenBALANCER sensors for heat balancing inside and between ovens, the company will debut its new watertight thermal profiler barrier, the M-VP ™. This sealed barrier protects the thermal profiler during immersion or in high-humidity processes. “The M-VP is designed to withstand the rigors of water immersion for boiling processes, as well as deep-frying in oil, allowing for precise measurement of product transformation within these challenging environ

ments,” ECD explains.

FRITSCH

At IBIE, FRITSCH will highlight the new PROGRESSA pastry line, specially developed for retail bakers. It brings improved hygiene, easy handling, and high performance. “The line features a hygienic design throughout, including smooth surfaces, watertight covers on threaded connections, and rounded corners that prevent dirt buildup,” FRITSCH highlights. Maintenance and cleaning are also simplified, with a linear quick-release mechanism on the belt. FRITSCH will also showcase the capabilities of the IMPRESSA series for high-output bread, croissant, and flatbread production, as well as the MULTITWIST for specialty-shaped doughs. Part of the MULTIVAC Group, FRITSCH will highlight its partnership with MULTIVAC for full-line solutions, from dough to distribution. West Hall 2901

Unifying

Handtmann

Handtmann, Inc. is showcasing next-generation bakery solutions designed to help producers meet current market demands and production goals with precision, consistency and scalable automation. Featured technologies include fast, continuous, multi-lane dough dividing and co-extrusion systems that deliver accurate portioning with minimal waste, along with flexible depositing solutions. These technologies are designed for easy product and format flexibility, helping bakeries expand offerings and achieve consistent quality at high production volumes, without the complexity of overhauling their processes. “Our technologies cover a broad range of bakery applications from pocket and filled products to pizza, breads, buns, cookies and more,” the company highlights.

Heinen

Heinen will showcase its most in-demand machines: the compact, compact duo, ambicol, acticool, proofline, and arctic. “In business since 1982, we’ve built a reputation for durability — our machines have a lifespan of up to 30 years,” Heinen underlines. The company ships 1-2 machines worldwide weekly.

In North America and APAC, there is a strong demand for high-throughput and space-efficient freezing solutions for automated production lines. These markets often prioritize energy efficiency and hygiene design. In Europe, the focus is frequently on customized solutions and integration into existing infrastructure – here, flexibility and long-term serviceability are key, Heinen shares.

Hobart

At Hobart’s IBIE stand, the recently upgraded Legacy+ ® HL600 60-quart mixer will he displayed. Hobart added an exclusive NoChipMax ™ System to the mixer, which includes a NoChip™ aluminum planetary with a metallic gray hybrid powder finish that is scratch- and corrosion-resistant and prevents paint chipping. Also, as part of the system, Hobart included a NoChip #12 attachment hub with a stainless-steel insert and die cast cover. These features prevent paint chipping when using a VS9 slicer attachment. Food preparation equipment designed to improve productivity for bakeries of all sizes will also be presented.

IPCO

IPCO will showcase the recently launched Compact Belt Tracking system, CBT 2G, a major addition to its expanding range of conveyor components. Live demonstrations will be organized. This system uses a contact-free optical sensor to continuously monitor belt position and instantly correct any deviation: “The result: precise, responsive tracking and extended belt life, even in demanding production environments,” IPCO explains.

IPCO will demonstrate how its steel belts, processing systems, and deep industry expertise can help bakery, chocolate, and confectionery producers boost productivity and streamline operations. The company’s conveyor solutions portfolio includes everything from sheaves and shafts to bearings and breakpoints. Alongside equipment, IPCO offers expert troubleshooting, consultancy, and oven upgrade services, including transitions from mesh conveyors to high-performance steel belts.

North Hall

IREKS

IREKS will present new and innovative baking ingredients. The AROMA & TASTE Concept will be highlighted, with premium malts and sourdoughs, bread bases such as a Mediterranean mix, Chia mix and Multiseed mix. “We will showcase and demonstrate their ease of production and safety in creating outstanding and trendy baked goods,” IREKS says. Solutions for gluten-free and vegan products will also be presented at the stand.

IREKS’ daughter company DREIDOPPEL will showcase sweet pastry solutions, including diverse pastes for fine pastry, which contain natural flavor and color and are mainly gluten-free and vegan. “Via our SWEET TABLE Concept, visitors can get a feeling of the various applications they can be used for,” the company anticipates.

Koenig

Koenig will showcase the Artisan SFE EC dough sheeting line for the very first time in the US at IBIE. The ‘E’ stands for efficient production through endless dough sheeting with no edge trim, meaning zero dough waste. The ‘EC’ - Easy Clean design saves time and resources for highly efficient cleaning, maintenance and product changes, Koenig highlights. The line has a dough throughput of up to 9,000 pieces/h in a six-row operation. It can produce dough sheets from 10 to 19 mm thick.

The company will also display the Fortuna semi-automatic machine that produces high and round dough pieces consistently, with weights from 32 to 110 g. It has a compact design and can also be used as a reliable dough dividing machine.

Koenig will also showcase the dough dividers and rounders Mini Rex Multi and Rex Futura Multi and the spiral mixer SP 160 at IBIE. Automation and robotic solutions will pe presented, together with its partner Abendschön.

KPM Analytics

At IBIE, KPM will exhibit its AI-powered vision system capabilities for the first time, and will highlight its food-safety technologies equipped with hyperspectral imaging. “For the baking industry, hyperspectral imaging offers vital quality control applications to inspect products within the non-visible spectrum, extracting the chemical footprint of a product’s surface,” KPM explains.

The company will also highlight its recently launched Mixolab 300 Universal Flour & Dough Analyzer. An upgrade to the Mixolab 2, Mixolab 300 is a new design that also includes a new mixing bowl and analytical protocols for at-line dough testing. “This new design is a major value to bakeries that wish to test doughs directly off the line – including crumbly dough or liquid batters – and quickly assess their properties in as little as two minutes,” the specialist adds. The entire suite of solutions that help manage product consistency, improve process control, and contribute to making data-driven decisions will also be presented.

West Hall 3865

West Hall 535

North Hall 5663

Kwik Lok

At IBIE, Kwik Lok will demonstrate a full complement of closures, closing machines, printers, and labels. Solutions for bakeries of all sizes will be presented and new developments will be introduced at the stand. “A key feature of our booth will be the new 872 Plus. The 872 Plus is engineered for maximum performance, minimal maintenance, and the lowest total cost of ownership we’ve ever offered” Kwik Lok details. Sustainable closure solutions will also be showcased, including a new member of the Enviro-Lok family: the Enviro-Lok PE. “The Enviro-Lok PE is a great way to move toward a circular packaging solution and is designed to run in current Kwik Lok machines. It is also metal free!”, the company explains. Labels welded without glue onto closures, also contribute to more sustainable solutions, for easy recycling. Labels can be used for traceability and added communication with marketing opportunities.

LeMatic

At IBIE, LeMatic highlights its updated LS133 Bulk Packer, including new technologies in cross-sealing and band-sealing, motorized film spindles, and a servo-driven motorized re-grouper. The company will present its entry-level equipment for bakeries upgrading from manual to semi-automatic or automatic operations, including its LX3 Variety Bagger, which can be used for a large variety of products for bakeries doing short runs with multiple changeovers; and the SLS Single Lane Slicer, for slicing single or dual lanes of product. The P7 Pattern Former & Loader will also be on display, which allows operators to create and manage product patterns directly through the HIM interface.

West Hall

West Hall

MECATHERM/ABI

MyMecatherm, a customizable digital platform, will be highlighted at IBIE – a solution that facilitates real-time equipment monitoring and enables predictive maintenance. Make-up lines will be displayed, including the M-NS II divider and the M-RT moulder for working with hydrated and rested doughs. The new flexible M-VT vertical oven will also be highlighted.

MECATHERM will exhibit alongside its sister company ABI, which will also unveil its new KATANA II Robotic Scoring

Solution for the first time at IBIE 2025. Visitors can discover the new equipment and attend live demonstrations. It offers high flexibility and optimal scoring precision and adapts to a wide variety of doughs and products.

Finally, industrial bakers will discover solutions to make energy savings and eliminate product waste from their production lines by utilizing Hygro Control System, Energy Recovery System, and ABI’s AI-powered EYE-Q quality control solution. West

Middleby Bakery Group

Middleby will highlight oven technology, with a dedicated ‘Oven Alley’ at the show. The latest advances in baking will be showcased here, from consistency to efficiency and sustainability concepts. Conveyor-driven ovens from Stewart Systems will be among the technology solutions displayed, with optimized heat distribution, flexible grid design and floating magnets – designed for breads and buns in industrial operations. Sveba Dahlen’s S-series ovens will also be displayed, as well as GBT’s Mistral Tunnel Oven, with energy-saving, eco-efficient technology. Auto-Bake Serpentine completes the oven portfolio on display, featuring hybrid gas/electric industrial ovens. With its extensive portfolio of brands, Middleby will offer full automation concepts, with processing lines and system integrations.

Peerless, a brand of Coperion

Peerless will present solutions specializing in mixing, dough handling, and sandwiching operations. All Peerless mixers are custom-built with an extensive range of options in bowl capacities, tilt configurations and refrigeration packages. “Our Peerless Peters Sandwiching equipment is designed to reduce sanitation downtime and provide consistent product quality and high production rates,” the company highlights.

Integrated within end-to-end systems, Coperion brings together a family of renowned brands – that alongside Peerless also includes Baker Perkins, Bakon, DIOSNA, Kemutec, Shaffer, Shick Esteve, Unifiller, and VMI.

West Hall 1025

© Middleby Bakery Group

West Hall 3445

Rademaker

Rademaker will unveil its latest advancements at IBIE 2025, including solutions for croissants, bread, Danish and puff pastry, pies and quiches, pizza, donuts, pita, and other flatbreads. Its latest Pizza Topping Line will be showcased, designed for fully automated pizza production, including the new Pizza Sauce Depositor, which makes its debut in the North American market. The line also includes the Pizza Strewing System, which can optimize working with all types of topping materials, such as cheese, vegetables, IQFs, and meats, thanks to smart data gathering.

The new Radini Semi-industrial Bread Line will also debut in the North American market, with a capacity of up to 1,200 kg of bread dough per hour, supporting a wide variety of doughs. An enhanced laminating system, three years into development, and a new bread line pre-sheeter will also be on display, along with the Charlie folding unit from the newly acquired company Form & Frys.

Reading Bakery Systems

West Hall 3811/3801

Reading Bakery Systems will showcase its full portfolio of snack production solutions, headlined by the new Emithermic XE Oven, a more sustainable, balanced baking platform that replaces traditional DGF ovens. Also featured will be the company's latest sheeting line for biscuits, crackers, and crisps, and the flexible Low Pressure Extrusion System for a variety of baked snack and pretzel products.

Visitors can also explore Exact Mixing continuous mixing systems, Reading Thermal oven profiling technologies, and RBSConnect, a smart monitoring and optimization platform supporting Industry 4.0 innovation. Together, these innovative snack solutions help bakeries improve efficiency, product quality, and energy savings.

RONDO

RONDO’s newest make-up line, Starline 5, will be introduced at IBIE 2025. It was developed over the past five years to meet all challenges in everyday production, with several new key developments, including a redesigned conveyor table, which optimizes hygiene. It is flexible in production for a wide variety of pastries and bread rolls, coming with a comprehensive variety of accessories

The RONDO CS Line (part of the ASTec Croissant Line – for curling and turning dough triangles) will also be presented. In addition, the company’s collaboration with the Swiss bakery school Richemont will be highlighted.

Schubert

The Flowpacker system is the heart of this year’s Schubert North America exhibit. The company’s advanced horizontal flow-wrapping solution is designed to integrate seamlessly into modular packaging systems and features a fully automated pick-and-place system that gently handles delicate baked goods such as croissants, pastries, and cookies, ensuring high-speed performance with minimal waste.

“Our goal at IBIE is to show how the Flowpacker provides the perfect combination of efficiency, flexibility, and product protection—especially for bakeries needing a future-proof solution,” says Hartmut Siegel, CEO of Schubert North America. “Visitors will see how it adapts easily to changing formats, materials, and production volumes.”

Shaffer, a brand of Coperion

Shaffer will be among the brands showcased by Coperion, with its mixing technology. Shaffer’s custom industrial dough mixers are engineered to be sanitary, durable and innovative and are used to mix bread, bun, cookie, biscuit, cracker doughs, and more, the company highlights. In addition, Shaffer technologies at the stand will include dough chunkers and conveyors that feed chunks of dough from the mixer area to downstream dividers or forming equipment.

Shick Esteve, a brand of Coperion

Shick Esteve will showcase a minor ingredient platform with hand dump, including the IQC filtration on display, as well as the Laramore conveyor vacuum and roll line at IBIE. These are alongside the bulk liquid storage tote and liquid fermentation system. All these solutions are integrated into an overall dough display system, in which Shick Esteve represents the ‘Systems and Ingredient Automation’ technology for Coperion.

Sveba Dahlen

At IBIE, Sveba Dahlen will showcase its ovens and the Glimek bread systems this year. A flexible bread system with a capacity of 1,800 dough pieces per hour will be on display, suitable for a wide range of different bread products. “There will also be a tunnel oven mockup showing both the principles of electrical heated oven as well as the gas heated oven,” Sveba Dahlen anticipates. Sveba recently partnered with Exodraft for heat recovery, to offer concrete energy consumption assessments. Together with its partner Gemini Bakery Solutions, the company will also show the entire range of Sveba Dahlen rack ovens at their own stand (West Hall, 2544).

Schubert

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Tonelli

This year, Tonelli will exhibit the 600 l (1,000 lb batch) Vertical Planetary Mixer and Product Transfer Pump. This system will automate mixing and pumping 4,000 lbs per hour of all kinds of cake batters, cake donuts, icings, and more. The Italian specialist also highlights new innovative solutions for thermal mixing automation, continuous systems, and turnkey industrial cake lines.

Patrick Wilkinson, North American Sales Manager, comments: “This year, we will demonstrate the benefits and return on investment of automating the front end of your lines at the Tonelli booth. From ingredient dosing to product transfer, to automatic washing, Tonelli planetary mixing systems have a solution to scale and automate almost any application in the bakery.”

Unifiller, a brand of Coperion

Coperion will highlight its Unifiller brand technologies from its extensive line of specialized and automated portioning solutions. “Our compact or fully automated systems include singlepiston and multi-piston depositors, food pumps, filling machines, cake and cupcake decorating equipment, pastry machines and more,” the specialist details. Unifiller equipment focuses on integrating automation to reduce product waste through accurate portioning and dosing, while streamlining operations to reduce downtime and drive manufacturing.

Verhoeven Bakery Equipment Family

Verhoeven will showcase its turnkey solutions, vacuum cooling and baking solutions, as well as its latest bread recycling solutions, which put sustainability into practice by reducing waste. Vacuum cooling and baking will be demonstrated live at the stand.

“We are proud to introduce an innovative concept: Repeatloaf – The Final Concept,” Verhoeven anticipates, a new machine concept that fully automates return bread processing. Within 24 hours, leftover bread is converted into a dry, stockable powder. The end product has many applications, from a flour alternative, as decoration, or to enrich dough.

VMI, a brand of Coperion

VMI mixers and kneaders that are specially designed for artisan bakers, catering professionals and large-scale bakery production will be presented at Coperion’s IBIE stand. They cover all mixing technologies, including pre-mixing, batch mixing, continuous mixing, planetary mixing, fermentation, automated systems, and more. Equipment on display in Las Vegas will include VMI’s Continuous Mixer, Batch Mixer and Planetary Mixer. VMI Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV) will also be featured alongside Coperion’s brand DIOSNA.

Follow www.bakingbiscuit.com and the

West

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“Skate where the hockey puck is going!”

Eric Hill took on the CEO role of Kwik Lok Corporation in November 2024. Blair Chastain has been the Chief Revenue Officer since February 2023. Together, the new leadership team at Kwik Lok talks packaging and packaging waste regulation, European and global market strategies, and the company’s advances in supporting bakeries to navigate changes in these areas.

+Catalina Mihu: The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) came into force on February 11, 2025, aiming to reduce the use of primary raw materials for packaging and to support recycling. What changes does it bring for bakeries and how has Kwik Lok been preparing to support them?

Eric Hill: Based on what we are experiencing and what we heard at the recent IBA show, bakeries need to change their packaging to meet the umbrella requirements. As more specific requirements are being defined over the next several years, we expect that bakeries are going to have to make changes to their closure materials, which is our focus, in particular. We believe we’re well positioned to provide exciting solutions for bakeries.

Kwik Lok has the solutions that European bakeries need. Our closures are already being used all over the world. Whether it’s our Fibre-Lok or Enviro-Lok family of closures, we are able to match different packaging materials so that our customers can meet the recyclability and circular economy requirements listed by the PPWR. These are product qualities that we know consumers want.

”We have some great equipment innovations that we’re bringing to IBIE, including the Enviro-Lok PE and the 872 Plus.”

Mihu: What was the narrative around PPWR at iba?

Blair Chastain: At IBA, we saw first-hand that bakeries are going to need to make changes in light of the PPWR, and we're already seeing it in motion. They have been asking for solutions to help them make that change. In Europe, double wire is predominantly used currently. This type of closure just isn’t going to meet the PPWR requirements. This is why we have been seeing significant momentum for the sustainable and wire free closure options that Kwik Lok offers, at the show and since.

Mihu: How would you compare the double wire packaging closure with the loks that you are providing, from a practical standpoint, as well as in view of the PPWR rules?

Blair Chastain: We need to meet our customers where they are; some want to use a bag closure to be recycled with their bags, for ease of recycling, for instance. Our

Eric Hill, CEO, Kwik Lok

Enviro-Lok PP (polypropylene) meets this need and can be recycled with a polypropylene bag. We have a new member of the Enviro-Lok family launching soon, the Enviro-Lok PE (polyethylene), that will also be recyclable with a polyethylene bag. To make our Enviro-Lok family of closure labels more recycling friendly, we also ultrasonically weld the labels onto the closures, instead of using glue. This process makes that product a recyclable solution. Other customers are more focused on paper-based products and looking at composability benefits; we have solutions for them as well. While not every customer is the same, all Kwik Lok solutions will meet the PPWR requirements.

Looking at the differences between our closures versus others, such as double-wire, twist ties and tape, we see that in addition to meeting European regulations, many of our bakery customers want to communicate more on the closure itself. Specifically, the best buy date, lot numbers, and/or the opportunity for many other brand messages. With our fully integrated systems that include printers, we can also print 2D barcodes right on the closure or on a full color label fixed to our closure so they can communicate even more with the customer. A lot more data can be housed using the 2D barcode, so closures become a real-time communication medium via a digital platform. With 2D bar codes, consumers can engage with brands and manufacturers can easily elevate the dialogue and react. We received great feedback on this at IBA. Bakeries recognize there’s a huge marketing opportunity here.

And, of course, the practical aspect meets customers’ needs. With loks, they get a very convenient solution to close the packaging bag, repeatedly. Our closure is much better in this regard, because you can take it off and put it back on to preserve the product’s freshness throughout the time it is consumed, which helps reduce food waste and cost. We want to help our customers keep their food fresh and have it last as long as possible, and the lok’s ability to reclose does just that, without fail. This is as important to us as it is to our bakery customers and consumers. Simple and practical!

Eric Hill: We’re making sure that we’re providing what the customer needs, but with a real eye on the consumer. Another observation about the double-wire closure is that it’s essentially a metal wire, which also introduces a host of issues in bakeries. Bakeries want to be metal-free, for safety reasons and from a sustainability perspective, too. And, to add to Blair's comment about using packaging closures as a communication piece, our customers want to find more and more innovative and creative ways to engage with the consumer. Having printable solutions, especially on labels, provides plenty of billboard space for our customers to communicate with the consumers. As we are already seeing, consumers are more engaged than they’ve ever been and want to communicate and interact with the products and the brands. The closure-and-label provides a very important value proposition for our customers. That’s going

to continue to be an important consumer trend as we go forward. on it.

EU’s packaging and packaging waste regulation

Mihu: What similarities from other markets can help you and bakers prepare for PPWR changes?

Eric Hill: I think each region across the globe has slightly different requirements but many similarities we can apply. For instance, we can use some of our work in Canada on materials like fiber and polypropylene and apply it across the globe where it makes sense. We don’t want to create a unique solution from scratch for every region.

That’s why it’s important for us to have a common manufacturing platform and ways to go to market. The approaches will converge at some point. The set of materials is pretty well defined and the materials that are currently available really fall into a few families, even if a lot of variability exists within them. We are now well-positioned to be able to support each of those families of packaging materials –the core materials, whether it's polyethylene, polypropylene, or a fiber-based solution. We have a range in each of those material sets.

Mihu: Out of these families of materials, what different preferences do you see in certain markets?

Blair Chastain: There definitely seems to be preferences. Europe is a mixed bag right now. But low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags are among the widely used solutions. Manufacturers want to pair them with a polyethylene closure. In cases where polypropylene bags are used, they tend to be combined with closures of the same material, to help recycle them at a larger percentage.

In our Australian market, plastic is avoided in favor of fiber-based products. For any of these materials, there is always a trade-off in terms of fit and function. We have to make sure we recommend the best solution according to each customer’s expected business outcomes.

Eric Hill: The core concept of a circular economy is transcendental across all regions. They might have different competing goals, but we are also seeing a fairly common demand across markets. Sustainability is very important to

and freshness with long tradition

”At IBIE, we are introducing the 872 Plus, a bag closing machine that was completely redesigned to meet the existing customer demands.”

us; our owners are very committed to sustainability. We have our own internal goals and objectives to achieve, whether it’s in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) metrics, or investing in materials with a positive impact on the circular economy.

And that is part of my philosophy, it’s a core belief of mine as well – to continue to invest before the consumers’ needs are even signaled in the market.

Blair Chastain: For us, sustainability is a balance between the ability to recycle and the ability to offer these sustainable solutions at a competitive price – and a big part of our strategy is to ensure this balance I achieved.

Connecting the dots

Mihu: What are some of these expectations for sustainability on your to-do list and what are some new opportunities for bakeries to advance their sustainability efforts?

Eric Hill: We are now releasing a new extension to one of our product lines, a polyethylene-based product, which really helps round out our portfolio of options. Engineering and product development work are usually long-term projects. For our latest release, Enviro-Lok PE, we considered how it performs in the market and that it has to work on the equipment which bakeries currently use to close their bags. It may sound simple, but it does take quite a bit of work, as materials continue to evolve and the availability of certain materials, such as recycled materials, continues to change. Performance of these materials is also evolving. Novel material science is our focus, supported by novel technologies. The new Enviro-Lok PE lok was literally the first

thing I was introduced to when I walked in the door, so it’s been an exciting ride!

Our strategy is built around meeting customer demands, consumer expectations and positioning ourselves for future materials and requirements in the marketplace. Connecting the needs, wants and capabilities – both internal and external – and developing strategies that fit the profile means we need to really skate to where the hockey puck is going.

Blair Chastain: We are making sure that we align with the market trends and current science. To do this, we have to carry out the best possible lifecycle analyses and we partner with organizations with similar goals like global plastic pacts and a wide variety of associations in the bakery and other industries. We capture learnings from different regions and incorporate them into successful models that can be adopted in others. As we look at new products, we are not going to stop innovating. We’re going to keep evolving. We’re already thinking three to five years in advance about what the next solution could be that benefits the customer, consumer, and the environment.

Eric Hill: Building on that, solutions have to work for the whole supply chain: a bakery doesn’t want their bread packaging to open on their line, spilling slices of bread all over their factory floor. The packaging also has to work for the retailer and for the consumer. If the solution is of value to the consumer, it’s going to bring the consumer back to that product more frequently and interact with that product in a more positive way. There are a lot of inputs to keep track of, to Blair’s point, and overlooking some aspects may become costly.

Blair Chastain, Chief Revenue Officer, Kwik Lok

That’s why we make sure that we’re considering all relevant facts and we're aiming our investments and our innovation in the direction that considers all of them.

New! Product launch

Mihu: Could you share more details about the new solution that will be introduced at IBIE?

Blair Chastain: We are really excited about launching the new Enviro-Lok PE closure. Another highlight is a machine that we announced at IBA as a preview: the 872 Plus, a new bag closing machine based on the success of previous 872 models. Using feedback from current customers, the machine was completely redesigned to make it even better while meeting the existing customer demands. Specifically, we incorporated feedback received into its design, revolving around the concept that less is more. So, the closing machine comes with fewer parts, less complexity (and easier to learn, in light of skilled labor shortages), less maintenance, less weight, and simple setup and operation. In addition, it also costs less over the life of the machine compared to any other machine built previously.

Eric Hill: If you have fewer adjustments to make, fewer moving pieces, it tends to relate well to the reliability of the equipment. We still are going to have customers whose process requires more flexibility, because they’re running products that vary greatly or require a higher level of integration. This new solution addresses the needs of bakeries that seek ease of operation and improved performance, and it rounds out our portfolio. If customers don’t need complexity, they should not have to pay for it, and this solution offers that choice.

Mihu: What kind of bakeries is it aimed at?

Blair Chastain: All bakeries can use it, from small to midsize and large. The 872 Plus machine closes up to 120 bags a minute. It will be faster than what any bakery usually runs. Various levels of integration are available, depending on the operation’s size and needs.

Mihu: Will the 872 Plus and the new Enviro-Lok PE be available worldwide or only in certain markets?

Eric Hill: The new Enviro-Lok PE can already be produced in several of our plants. We are scaling up so we will eventually have production capabilities across the globe and able to produce Enviro-Lok PE wherever it’s needed.

Blair Chastain: The 872 Plus will be available across the globe, the major focus will be within North America and the EU, where we see the most opportunity.

A business built around sustainability

Mihu: Providing something that’s easy to use has been the cornerstone of the company since its launch. With some of the newest developments, excitement and experience are added on top of utility. How is the 70th

Smart Bread Line

With the modular sheeting line and its low-stress technology, you can produce cut, stamped, moulded and rounded bread at a capacitiy of up to 1’000 kg per hour.

anniversary milestone marked in Kwik Lok’s agenda, R&D included?

Eric Hill: Kwik Lok has had 70 years of continued manufacturing. Through that time, the markets that we serve have changed significantly. In turn, that required us to develop our portfolio of solutions. It means that we are a stable company that can provide value for our customers. It’s very important to us to have the right solutions for the market, the regulations and the times. It’s a great company and it’s what drew me to Kwik Lok. We know what we’re doing with 70 years’ worth of institutional knowledge. We have a history of innovation, and we are investing in the future of the industry.

“That’s why it's so important to us to base our work, particularly our material science, on science, because then we have the data we need to provide to customers.”

Blair Chastain: We are a family company in the third generation, and we are all very much committed to growth, service, sustainability and innovation, and most of all our people. This is why we can continue to be agile and nimble with our approach and why we can adjust to vastly different market demands and considerations. The world is changing so rapidly, and we have to be at the forefront of it. While it may seem like our loks are just a simple closure, there is an entire strategy driving the company behind these closures with a lot of aspects to consider as we continue to evolve. It’s truly an exciting process.

Mihu: The company’s 70th anniversary also coincides with a transition in its leadership. How is continuity ensured and what new perspective do you bring to Kwik Lok’s strategy? Eric Hill: I’ve been in the packaging industry for the last 15 years. Before that, I spent 13 years working for one of the largest consumer products companies in the world and I think that, throughout this time, many aspects transcended both companies and now provide a holistic view of the supply chain and the consumer chain. A consumer products company is very focused on what exactly the consumer needs, what the consumer wants and how to deliver it. For Kwik Lok, this means how packaging can support the producer and the consumer. And that affects your go-tomarket, your innovation, and the investments in your people. I've seen how packaging can play a significant role in what the consumer needs and wants, from both the consumer product company’s viewpoint, as well as how a packaging company has to solve those problems and run a productive business. Kwik Lok is a great company and it’s my job to make it an even better company going forward. My experiences are going to help us as we continue to evolve.

Eric Hill, CEO, Kwik Lok

There are a lot of expectations around sustainability and technology is still catching up to these expectations. We plan to continue to develop sustainable solutions. Innovation is a core part of the success of our company, and it will drive our evolution, innovation in packaging materials, as well as in packaging and labeling technology.

We will never tell the folks on our manufacturing floor that this is the last material that they’re going to have to learn how to run. That’s just not true. We’re going to continue to evolve together with the technologies that support us. It’s a very exciting time and I am elated to lead the company into this next phase.

According to plan

Mihu: On the topic of company strategy, what strategy changes have you made since the management changes?

Eric Hill: Six months in, I would like to reiterate: this is a good company! There is no need to turn things around; it’s really about taking a great company and making it better. I am focusing on subtle changes, and primarily on bringing to market some of these key innovations. We have some great innovations that we’re bringing to IBIE,

Kwik Lok partners with Plastic Pacts

As part of its commitment to sustainability and combating climate change, Kwik Lok is a part of the following plastics pacts to help accelerate progress across the entire plastics value chain. All of the pacts support the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Global Plastics Pact Network with hopes of bringing a unifying voice to plastic packaging guidelines, policy, education, labeling, access, and infrastructure. Kwik Lok is a member of:

+ The US Plastics Pact

+ European Plastics Pact

+ ANZPAC Plastics Pact

+ Canada Plastics Pact

The Plastics Pact Network, convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WRAP, connects national and regional initiatives around the world to implement solutions towards a circular economy for plastic.

including the Enviro-Lok PE and the 872 Plus. The bigger strategic changes will evolve over the next business cycle.

Mihu: What will the transition to PPWR compliance mean for your work with bakeries from now on?

Blair Chastain: We’ve had extensive discussions about making the necessary changes, whether it’s a fully integrated Kwik Lok solution or a small modification to an existing line. We have the resources and the partners to meet the customers where they are.

Eric Hill: I think the great thing about Kwik Lok is that we’re really looking at a whole solution to make sure that our customer succeeds; we’re not just selling the consumable, the lok alone.

Mihu: When you work on a project with a client and look at the specific market infrastructure, do you also suggest reusing or recycling guidelines that they could follow for the equipment and the materials that they choose?

Blair Chastain: Yes. We aim to make it simple and easy for our customers, and we want them to be able to wash,

”We

are a family company in the third generation, and we are all very much committed to growth, service and innovation, as well as our people. This is why we can continue to be agile and nimble with our approach and why we can adjust to vastly different market demands and considerations.”

Blair Chastain, Chief Revenue Officer, Kwik Lok

rinse, and repeat. This means having the proper documentation, training resources, visuals, and supporting team behind the scenes and in person.

Eric Hill: That’s why it's so important to us to base our work, particularly our material science, on science, because then we have the data we need to provide to customers. We can answer questions such as, ‘Where does this fit in with a circular economy?’, ‘What are my product end-of-life options?”

We want to be sure that our customers are confident in any claims they make and that we are able to back them up with the science or the certification that may be appropriate in their country.

We have specific project teams that are working on connecting material science with the market needs. We are

both a global and a regional company at the same time, in this regard.

Mihu: Speaking about the people working at Kwik Lok, how big is the global team?

Eric Hill: We’re around 300 people globally, spread out pretty equally across the globe, with a few more people here, at our headquarters in Yakima.

Blair Chastain: And then we have the extension of Kwik Lok, which are our key distributors and bagger manufacturer partners across the globe. Although we have 300 direct employees, we do have a few hundred more indirect staff who represent Kwik Lok, aligning with our brand values, workflow and function. +++

Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation 2025/40

Objectives

The PPWR entered into force on 11 February 2025 and its general date of application is 18 months after that. It aims to minimize the quantities of packaging and waste generated while lowering the use of primary raw materials. It aims to:

+ Prevent and reduce packaging waste, including through more reuse and refill systems.

+ Make all packaging on the EU market recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030.

+ Safely increase the use of recycled plastics in packaging.

+ Decrease the use of virgin materials in packaging and put the sector on track to climate neutrality by 2050.

Regulations

The PPWR establishes a new set of requirements in line with Europe's waste rules that cover the entire packaging life cycle – from product design to waste handling. By 2030, the measures are expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water use, while preventing and reducing the adverse impacts of packaging and packaging waste on the environment and human health. The new rules include:

+ Restrictions on certain single-use plastics

+ Minimizing the weight and volume of packaging and avoiding unnecessary packaging

+ 2030 and 2040 targets for a minimum percentage of recycled content in packaging.

+ A requirement for take-away businesses to offer customers the option to bring their own containers at no extra cost.

+ Minimizing substances of concern, including restrictions on packaging containing per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) if they exceed certain thresholds.

Dessert hybrids are, perhaps, the most exciting product category reflecting the trend coined by Innova. Experimentation brings creative bakers and curious consumers together: successful new launches such as sweet-and-savory combinations, or unusual creations and limited editions are proof of this. Growing trends include cruffins and crookies, cronuts and biskies, the market researcher illustrates.

Automation and craftsmanship

Creativity needs to be met with flexible technology support to bring this level of excitement to market. FRITSCH has been working on developing exactly such a solution. This spring, the company from the MULTIVAC Group launched a new, flexible semi-industrial line dedicated to pastries. Key design features initially introduced with the namesake bread line are now geared toward pastry production. With hygienic design being an equally important priority in any bakery, PROGRESSA Pastry’s architecture prioritizes smooth surfaces

extensive range or products, sweet or savory, can be made, while ensuring sanitation and safety between production runs.

The line’s capacity is relative to the type of pastry being made. Taking into account the belt speed and the corresponding cutting length, a 4-row production line can produce 12,000 folded Danish pockets per hour, or up to 6,000 Danish swirls per hour, FRITSCH illustrates. It should be noted that the guillotine cuts with a maximum performance of 100 strokes/minute.

FRITSCH aimed to provide the option to produce a great variety of different products on a line that occupies as little space as possible – all priorities at the top of the list in semi-automated operations. Designed to be easy to operate and manage, the new line is modular and comes with userfriendly controls and various accessories for different products. With a new folding plough concept and an easy-toremove, substantially lighter wrapping roller, the PROGRESSA pastry ensures easy handling and fast line changeovers.

The specialists explain the benefits of the new folding plough system: “One frame can be used for a variety of product configurations, and only one shaft is needed for each product. The folding ploughs can be put on and removed quickly and can be adjusted easily for high production reliability. The folding ploughs can be stored on a frame and put into the dishwasher for fast and easy cleaning.”

Since the line is modular, it can be adapted to any product combination using additional equipment from a line-up including the folding plough system, coiling-in rollers, decorating rollers, moistening units, strewing units, filling units (for spot, strip, or continuous filling), or retracting units. It also offers the option to build on its initial setup as needed, by adding more automation features over time. Various options are available for automating dough sheet production. The line can be fed with dough blocks on the DOUGHLINER or with a complete laminating line with automated dough sheet production. “For example, a customer might start with a

”With the new PROGRESSA pastry, FRITSCH is consistently continuing the path started with the new IMPRESSA bread and PROGRESSA bread. Key design features are now available to the pastry segment, placing particular emphasis on good accessibility, quick cleaning and easy handling of the line.”

Stefan Praller, Senior Director Customer Experience, FRITSCH

make-up line and add a laminating line later for automatic dough sheet production,” FRITSCH explains. The line can accommodate a wide range of pastry products, from folded Danish products to swirls to special products like Danish plaits. The new hygienic DOUGHLINER or LAMINATOR can also be combined with a MULTIFLEX L, to add croissants into production, in addition to pastries.

Not just the line, but the downstream process can be flexibly adjusted to match it. FRITSCH can offer different solutions for product depositing. “Our latest solution is a very compact retracting unit with single or double tray support, depending on the capacity,” highlights Stefan Praller, Senior Director Customer Experience.

Changing between products running on the line starts with swapping the cutting tools in the guillotine. However, reducing the weight of individual components is also very important. “For example, the decorating rollers and the coiling-in roller are now also available in plastic, making them significantly lighter and easier to handle,” FRITSCH explains. With the new longitudinal cutting unit with freerunning cutting knives, a single knife can be swivelled or removed individually for the highest flexibility and quick changeovers.

Automation and craftsmanship don’t need to be mutually exclusive. With this system, they support each other. “With the new PROGRESSA pastry, FRITSCH is consistently continuing the path started with the new IMPRESSA bread and PROGRESSA bread. Key design features are now available to the pastry segment, placing particular emphasis on

Ease of use also means that not many users are needed to run the line. In fact, with the new Beckhoff control, the PROGRESSA pastry can be controlled by one person. All inputs are done on one central control panel, for the line and for the accessories – no additional panels are needed on the filling unit, depositing unit, or the coiling unit.

Hygiene is a must-have

The PROGRESSA pastry is designed with sanitation in mind, following the FRITSCH HCD specifications (Hydro Cleaning Design). The hygienic design of individual components includes consistent use of smooth surfaces, watertight covers on threaded connections, and rounded corners where no dirt can accumulate. Fold-up knife edges, like those on the infeed table of the satellite head, for example, ensure good accessibility even in relatively tight spaces. On the so-called ‘omega drives’, the belt can be completely relaxed in a matter of seconds, which makes cleaning under belts a quick and easy process as well, FRISCH highlights. In addition, scrapers for belts and rollers can be folded and/or removed.

The PROGRESSA pastry can be washed down with foodgrade cleaning agents at a low pressure of up to 15 bar and a maximum temperature of 60°C (140°F). The hoppers of flour dusters can be removed easily for cleaning. Additionally, the brush of the flour duster can also be easily removed for cleaning, without any tools.

Mobile components, including the filling unit MULTIFILLER S – which is essential in pastry-making, can also be washed down from all sides and allow thorough cleaning in the washing hall. Moreover, the new, easy-to-adjust spreading ruler is suitable for dishwashers.

FRITSCH highlights further hygiene improvements: “The torpedo of the new coiling-in roller (for the production of Danish swirls) is now easy to remove and can be put into the dishwasher.” In addition, the round belt drive eliminates the need for a protective cover, which further improves the accessibility for cleaning. +++

© FRITSCH

II. BREADS, ROLLS

Smart and stress-free sheeting

Reliable, delicate and consistent sheeting is the meeting place of accurate technology and dough rheology. Now, smart algorithms and automations add a level of sophistication to the process that completely takes the stress out of the equation and the dough sheet.

+Control is the name of the game in automating processes in bakeries to guarantee that the products will always be instantly recognizable, with no taste or texture variations. Semi-industrial operations have the opportunity to be agile in setting up workflows to their unique advantage. A suite of smart tools and solutions is available to help automate the desired process steps and integrate interfaces between process steps and various systems used in production.

Process controls are increasingly adopted. Among them, systems that evaluate the dough flow on the line are in demand. Any departure from the preset characteristics of the dough is identified in real-time. Bakeries may choose to set up the process to automatically change parameters to return the sheet of dough to the desired properties (and keep it there by constantly course-correcting when needed), or have alerts inform the operators that they need to step in for adjustments. Product consistency targets taste, texture and weight – for each item. Here, too, weight monitoring can help eliminate variations automatically. For efficiency, it is a solution increasingly adopted.

In addition, information exchange from line to operation control is among the features gaining in popularity. Information is power in baking, too, and having each team member, from top management to line manager or shift operator, receive the exact data they need is that power.

Smart sheeting

RONDO is working with semi-industrial bakeries on better – and smarter setups. For sheeting, smart technology means easier utilization, increased efficiency and operator comfort. This is what RONDO intended with its Smart Bread Line, which was designed to support simple product changes, thanks to its modular and ergonomic construction. Flexibility was also a part of its design, which is why it can be used for a wide variety of breads. No matter the specialty, though, gentle dough handling is ensured for the entire sheeting process, upholding its ‘stress-free technology’ promise for doughs, so that even highly hydrated and pre-fermented specialties can be produced.

The RONDO Smart Bread Line can be flexibly used for any capacities between 200 kg/h up to 1,000 kg/h, and can reduce manual operations in the bakery, while maintaining the handcrafted quality of the products, RONDO underlines.

Capacities vary according to the product category – and this sheeting line from RONDO can run a vast list of specialties, from cut breads (ciabatta, square-, rectangle- or triangle-shaped products) and stamped breads (pizza, pinsa, naan), to long molded breads (baguettes) and round molded products (Rosenbrötchen, bread loaves). It can be set up in various unique layouts, according the the best assessment of the space and modules needed for the products to be made. “The basic sheeting line is identical

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for all product categories. Steps include forming the dough band out of the mixing bowl, reducing the dough band’s thickness, adjusting it in width, and finally, calibrating it for product weight consistency,” RONDO lists. Accurate scaling units can be integrated into the system, to precisely monitor and control product weight consistency. Dough band formers pre-form the dough from the bowl into a band, starting the no-stress journey of the dough through the sheeting process.

“The MIDOS dough band former, for example, has a specially designed roller system that does not require any process flour or oil. This is essential for a homogenous dough structure and a high-quality artisanal crust,” RONDO explains.

”If

the line is already designed for round products, the entire category of cut products can be produced as well, without any further modifications, by just adding new tools corresponding to the desired shapes.”

Angela Bieli, Head of Marketing and Communication, RONDO

The thickness of the dough band is then gently reduced. Its cross roller has a double role: it expands the width of the dough band while relacing the dough. Moreover, tension is avoided by minimizing drop heights along the line.

Where rounding is needed to form the products, the RONDObot is used, to reduce the tension in the dough during the rounding process. It can be precisely adjusted to the product and product quality and it can be individually adjusted for each product. “The RONDObot mimics the manual rounding process. Rounding is perfected through multiple steps, with bigger circular movements and smaller circular movements; by applying more pressure, or less pressure. Sometimes, even elliptical movements are necessary to achieve a perfect product. Depending on the product quality, the different molding phases are combined or repeated in different sequences,” highlights Angela Bieli, Head of Marketing and Communication, RONDO.

Today and tomorrow

Different layouts can be executed for the make-up/forming steps, including the selected modules from the available options. They can always be adjusted, as they are built to be interchangeable and extendable, so that the line can

be extended over time in capacity and product diversity. For instance, if the line is already designed for round products, the entire category of cut products can be produced as well, without any further modifications, by just adding new tools corresponding to the desired shapes. If baguettes are added on this line, the long molding module needs to be added at the end, but the rest of the line remains unchanged. Single modules with a bypass function ensure changeovers are made with no downtime.

The RONDObot, which comes with the Smart Bread Line, can be used for any number of production lanes, and for any product size and weight. Interchangeable tools are available to further diversify production (through automated changeovers to the selected recipes and corresponding tools).

All the operators need to do is load the desired program and the majority of the settings will automatically adjust to it, from the belt speed, to the roller gaps, cutting lengths, to molding and panning parameters. Tools such as cutting rollers, guillotine blades, or stamping dies are manually swapped, as well as the spreading conveyor, to match the number of production lanes.

The Smart Bread Line is designed to work with artisan-style breads, meaning it is suitable for popular specialties: doughs with long resting times, doughs with a high water content (hydration levels of 180 and even higher), sponge doughs, doughs with pre-dough, as well as organic doughs without dough conditioners.

All grounds are covered for any combination of exciting, unique products bakeries want to plan, with ample opportunity for it to evolve together with trends. +++

III. SUSTAINABILITY

Time after time

Verhoeven Bakery Equipment Family developed the Repeatloaf initiative to contribute to lowering waste in the baking industry. It offers an automated solution that upcycles leftover bread.

+Bread supply is facing multiple challenges and could potentially see severe shortages in the coming years, with a growing world population and an increased demand for bread, especially in emerging markets. Bread is often at the top of many lists of food waste contributors, especially volume-wise. Overproduction, its short shelf-life and the need to have the staple product always available are among the main causes for this.

The problem becomes even more complex when looking at the emissions released to produce bread. According to The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, carbon footprint results range from 977 to 1,244g CO2 eq. for a single loaf of bread. Before bread production even begins, growing 1 kg of wheat requires between 900 and 2,000 liters of water (FAO). Energy is then needed to transport the wheat to mills, grind the grains and transport the flour to bakeries.

An estimated 64% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with bread production have already occurred before the flour even enters the bakery. This can be avoided by reusing leftover bread.

'Give Loaf a Second Chance’

With the Repeatloaf concept, an optimized automatic process has been created, which builds on the initiative of the Dutch ‘Bakkersgrondstof’. It meets the need to reduce the enormous amount of bread thrown away. According to figures from the European Community, the equivalent of 15% of the total European bread production is not consumed. This is equivalent to a waste of 15 billion kg of bread per year. By processing leftover bread into a fermented bread ingredient that has a shelf life of months, not only is it recycled, but in fact upcycled, a creative translation of waste into an improved new product. The ‘Repeatloaf precision fermented powder’ therefore gives a second chance to bread that would otherwise be thrown away. The slogan ‘Give Loaf a Second Chance’ makes it even more beautiful: it means real love for the second life of bread.

”We can now offer a one-day process that allows the user to calculate their capacity requirements easily – they are equal to their daily loss.”

René van Ass, Business Development Officer, Verhoeven

The RepeatLoaf concept

Verhoeven Bakery Equipment Family has been focusing on two aspects in its R&D in its search for a solution to this issue: innovation and sustainability. The company developed an automated solution that makes a fermented powder with an increased shelf-life, out of leftover bread. The fermentation process takes less than 24 hours, and the fermented powder is suitable for use as an alternative to flour, as decoration, or to enrich the flavor of baked products.

The company’s sustainability focus is at the heart of the project that led to the Repeatloaf solution: “The Sustainable

Development Goal 12.3 is very specific: a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030. As bread still tops the list of food waste, initiatives to reduce it contribute to a sustainable future. The Repeatloaf initiative is new and unique in this field; it creates a dry powder that can be easily preserved and used to re-create dough from bread waste,” Verhoeven outlines.

In the development stages, the original concept was based on a manual fermentation process that took roughly four days. Verhoeven set out to shorten this time and optimize the results, while also improving and automating the process.

“Processing time influences the capacity that can be processed. We can now offer a one-day process that allows the user to calculate their capacity requirements easily –they are equal to their daily loss,” explains René van Ass, Business Development Coach, Verhoeven.

The company identified three streams of waste, out of which, the internal streams are the first tackle in this project. In the production process, around 10-15 % of the bread is lost, according to research from the World Resources Institute.

“Repeatloaf is the solution for that! External streams bring extra challenges, which are also the subject of an ongoing study. The recycling process can be mastered once the products to be recycled are identified,” he reveals. There are several products that can be recycled simultaneously.

Most types of bread can run through the machine in a mix. However, products containing ingredients such as raisins, seeds and nuts can influence the resulting powder, which is why Verhoeven recommends avoiding them. “The input influences the output,” Verhoeven notes.

There are several opportunities to use the resulting powder; as it undergoes a fermentation process, it can bring taste and even volume improvements when added into the production of new bread at the right dosage. It can also make for a good decoration material.

The machine is compact, designed to save space, and its installation is a straightforward, plug-and-play process. Verhoeven can assist bakeries in setting up the process, based on the products that will be used: “Together with the user, input quality and quantities are determined to form the basis for a preset menu, which is calculated to steer the fermentation process,” the specialist explains.

The fermented powder has no special requirements other than flour for storage and can be deposited for later use at ambient temperature and humidity, in a closed container. In addition to efforts to reduce energy consumption and emissions while baking, the Repeatloaf brings one more solution to increase sustainability in the bakery. It’s a promising field. +++

THE TASTE OF INNOVATION

Experience our cutting-edge solutions! From bread variety and pastries to snacks and trend products – our smart and connective technologies for dough dividing, forming, dosing, and automation set new standards. Contact us and explore the future of baking!

Bundy family values

Gil Bundy, Bill Bundy, Bob Bundy and Tom Bundy together lead their family business, global leader Bundy Baking Solutions. Last year, they celebrated the company’s 60th anniversary in the baking industry. Now, they share a behind-the-scenes view of its success.

+Catalina Mihu: Bundy Baking Solutions has established a global reach with its products and services. How is the company set up to provide unique bakeware and coating solutions on each of its markets?

Gil Bundy: Bundy Baking Solutions operates globally, but our strength lies in local expertise. Our international teams understand the specific needs of their regions – whether that means adapting to regional baked goods types or supporting varying levels of bakery automation. It’s a global mindset, but our execution is local. We’ve built up strong regional teams that speak the language, know the customers, and understand their baking needs. This structure allows us to bring our solutions – whether pans, coatings, refurbishment or equipment – directly to the customer in a way that’s tailored and responsive.

Mihu: And how is the experience earned in one place shared throughout the network?

Bill Bundy: We have a collaborative approach to innovation and problem-solving across all our facilities. Technical

knowledge, customer feedback, and engineering advancements flow across teams, from Brazil to the U.S. to Romania and beyond. A challenge with a baguette tray in Europe might be solved with input from engineers in Brazil and the U.S.

”My journey into the baking industry started when I was a child. My father, Russ, would take us to bakeries to see how bakeries operated and we were always allowed to test the freshly made baked goods. It's easy to fall in love with customers who treat you to warm doughnuts or freshly baked bread. ”

Gil Bundy

Gil Bundy: We’ve got systems and relationships in place –not just in sales, but in engineering, coating, and manufacturing – that allow us to learn from each other and keep raising the bar.

Mihu: What are some of the newest developments in solutions and services at Bundy Baking Solutions?

Bob Bundy: Our focus continues to be on helping bakeries improve efficiency, reduce labor and energy costs, and

increase sustainability. We’ve focused on servicing customers to do more with less – less labor, less energy, less waste. Our ePAN ® Technology is a great example of that – it’s lighter, more efficient, and better for the environment. Other recent innovations include the TabLock tray, developed to work with Mecatherm lines. It features easy-to-replace screens, significantly reducing waste and cost over time.

Bill Bundy: We’re also seeing growth in large-format pans that let bakers bake more bread per cycle, increasing throughput and reducing energy consumption.

Mihu: The company was founded in 1964. How did Russell T. Bundy & Associates, Inc grow into Bundy Baking Solutions? What would you consider the milestones of the past 60 years?

Bill Bundy: Bundy Baking Solutions has evolved from a small family operation to a global multi-family, multi-national operation by staying committed to quality, relationships, and smart growth. Dad (Russ) started with a real belief in doing things better – and being dependable. Over time, we kept that focus, while the industry changed around us.

Milestones include the early expansion of American Pan, strategic acquisitions like Chicago Metallic and Runex, and international growth into Europe, South America, and beyond. But one thing has remained constant – our connection to the baker.

”I started vith the company when I was 16 years old, working as a warehouse employee at RTB in Columbus, Ohio. My responsibilities included unloading used equipment and pans from the trucks, and then organizing and cleaning them.”

Bill

Bundy

Gil Bundy: The biggest constant has been our people and our focus on the baking industry.

Mihu: And how would the company’s development steps combine with your own roles in the companies?

Gil Bundy: All four Bundy sons have worked in the business across all levels and departments – in operations,

sales, coating, and customer support – giving them a strong connection to the products and the people who use them. From starting new pan cleaning plants from the ground up, to starting completely new businesses, we have all had various roles as the company grew and expanded.

Bob Bundy: We all started out in very hands-on roles. For me, it was coating operations, including living in France and Canada for a time. That experience gave each of us the foundation we needed to lead.

Mihu: How would you describe Bundy’s workflow with craft bakeries and industrial operations? How is each best served?

Bundy Baking Solutions brands

AMERICAN PAN

Area of expertise: Industrial baking pans & coatings

Solutions: custom and standard-size baking pans, pan coatings, and pan refurbishment services

ACCUSPRAY

Area of expertise: Automated spraying systems for release agents

Solutions: precision pan greasers and oilers

CHICAGO METALLIC

Area of expertise: Commercial & foodservice bakeware

Solutions: stock bakeware for retail and foodservice

PAN GLO

Area of expertise: Pan cleaning & recoating

Solutions: cleaning and recoating services for baking pans

RUNEX

Area of expertise: : Baking equipment & coatings

Solutions: baking tools for professional bakers across the Scandinavian region

SYNOVA

Area of expertise: Release agents

Solutions: custom release agent formulas

TURBEL

Area of expertise: Baking pans & coatings

Solutions: baking pans, coatings

USA PAN

Area of expertise: : Commercial bakeware for retail

Solutions: US-made bakeware, cookware

Bundy Baking Solutions – years in the family business

First-generation leadership:

Russell T. (Russ) Bundy – Co-founder (1964–2024)

Elizabeth (Liz) Bundy – Co-founder, Treasurer (1964 – present)

Second-generation leadership:

Gil Bundy – Chief Executive Officer at Bundy Baking Solutions (1981 – present)

Tom Bundy – President, Pan Glo (1984 – present)

Robert (Bob) Bundy – President, Global Coating Operations (2006 – present)

William (Bill) Bundy – President of Global Manufacturing (2010 – present)

Brad Bundy – Senior Project Engineer, DuraShield (2011 – present)

Bill Bundy: We serve both large industrial bakers and small craft bakers – and we’re proud of that. Our global brands like American Pan and Turbel meet the needs of high-volume lines, while Chicago Metallic and Runex, provide more flexibility for artisanal operations.

Tom Bundy: We work with some of the largest industrial bakers in the world, but we’ve never walked away from any baker that needs our product and support. We also support growing bakeries, helping them scale their operations with the right trays, coatings, and advice from our expert teams.

Mihu: And how do Bundy Baking and its companies/partners adapt to changes in the global business/geopolitical environment?

Bob Bundy: We’ve responded to global shifts by strengthening our regional operations. For example, we’ve expanded our recoating footprint across Europe to ensure local, timely service despite transport or logistics challenges. We've made and continue to make investments in people and infrastructure ahead of customer demand in several territories. We’d rather be ready before the customer needs us, not after. This forward-thinking approach helps our customers maintain reliability no matter what’s happening globally.

This is Innovation

Mihu: How would you describe innovation in bakeware and coatings currently? And what goals are being considered for new developments in the following years?

Bill Bundy: Innovation today is about enabling efficiency, safety, and sustainability in bakery operations. We collaborate with OEMs and bakers alike to make sure our trays work seamlessly in the next generation of ovens and automated systems. We’re working closely with OEMs as they develop larger-format ovens, for instance, to make sure our trays are compatible and optimized for those lines.

Bob Bundy: We offer a full range of coatings, including Fluoropolymer and non-PFAS formulas. PFAS are a big topic and we have several options that have been used in bakeries for decades to meet any requirement.

Mihu: Over time, Bundy Baking Solutions founded American Pan, pur chased Chicago Metallic and recently partnered with companies such as

ing and/or buying new companies, as well as establishing partnerships? How is each form of expansion determined, as a general policy?

Bill Bundy: We don’t acquire or partner lightly. Every new relationship must align with our values and complement our capabilities. We don’t grow just to grow. It has to make sense for our customers, our technology and our culture. Our partnerships with Cainco and Turbel work because they’re great teams with deep baking expertise.

Mihu: What smaller specialist would make an interesting partner for Bundy Baking? What are your selection criteria?

Gil Bundy: We’re always on the lookout for partners that bring complementary technologies, new materials, or geographic presence to help us better serve bakeries worldwide. That might mean a specialist in new coating innovations, advanced bakeware designs, or a team with deep regional knowledge that aligns with our growth strategy.

”When I was 16, I began working for RTB as a general laborer. My first job was to clean out a doughnut fryer that had been shipped to us with the oil still in it!”

Bob Bundy

What matters most is a shared dedication to the baking industry. We’re not looking for short-term gains – we value long-term partnerships and meaningful innovation. We’ve already developed greenfield operations where needed, and we’re very much willing to do so again if the right opportunity arises. We’re a family business, and we’re looking for people who want to grow with us – who believe in what we do and how we do it.

Mihu: And how are the expanded teams coordinated to work together?

Gil Bundy: We’ve built a structure that connects our global teams – sales, marketing, engineering, production, finance, legal, and IT– to work seamlessly together. We’re deeply invested in this coordination, not just in theory but through real, ongoing collaboration across departments and regions. When we expand – whether through acquisitions or new operations – we bring everyone up to speed with a longterm mindset, ensuring alignment with our quality, service, and innovation standards. It’s about leveraging the strength of our global team to deliver consistent excellence for our customers worldwide.

Mihu: What are the markets in your focus for the upcoming years? Where do you anticipate the most growth? And what solutions will see an increase in demand?

Bill Bundy: We anticipate continued growth in Europe and the MENA region, with increasing demand for sustainable coatings, high-efficiency pans, and total pan management programs. These are strong growth regions. We’re building local teams and investing where we know our customers will need support.

Mihu: From your work with bakeries worldwide, what growing trends can you observe? And what changing needs have to be met, regarding bakeware? How is product/process/equipment/operator safety guaranteed?

Gil Bundy: There’s a clear move toward larger formats, more automation, and simplified processes. Labor is also a challenge, and bakeries need partners who can help them work smarter.

Tom Bundy: Our people are our strength. They’re not just selling pans – they’re solving problems with our customers. Safety is a priority for us; it is embedded in our design and manufac turing process – it’s never an afterthought.

”My first job with the company was at the first established Pan Glo plant in Maple Shade, New Jersey; however, my career within the baking industry started much earlier than that.”

Bill Bundy: Safety is at the core of our design. We don’t compromise.

Mihu: Changing and local regulations contribute to the local landscape of each market; how do they influence your work, and what are some of the biggest changes you are preparing for? Please illustrate.

Bill Bundy: At Bundy Baking Solutions, we do more than just meet local and regional regulatory requirements – we strive to exceed them, with a proactive team and future-facing innovation. Our safety and environmental compliance teams are robust and proactive, preparing us for emerging standards.

Bob Bundy: We have had non-PFAS formulas for decades, each delivering great results in various applications. We constantly invest in research and development of new coatings.

Gil Bundy: Bundy’s approach isn’t reactive – it’s about staying ahead. We collaborate closely with customers, regulatory experts, and R&D teams to ensure our pan and coating solutions are future-ready across every market we serve. +++

Tom Bundy

The images speak for themselves

Ensuring the utmost product safety is not only cost-saving, but also good business, as it's a certain way to ensure a delicate and vital resource: a brand’s reputation.

By Daniel Greb, Head of the Image Processing Division at Gerhard Schubert GmbH

+When shortbread is crisp and pralines glisten in their tray, the right quality is there. What delights consumers and manufacturers alike can be traced back to systems that are much less prominent than conveyor belts or robots. And yet, camera-based scanners are capable of great things when it comes to inspection. They continuously check the shape, color, dimensions and height of a wide range of products. The technology has become increasingly sophisticated over the decades, in no small part thanks to the innovation in packaging machines and solutions.

Camera-based scanners are essential to the critical infrastructure of many packaging and picking lines, as they detect everything that takes place on the conveyor belts below them. Failing to do so would be counterproductive. Products that are damaged or incorrectly placed in the packaging inevitably lead to unwanted rejects, machine downtime or even costly recalls – to the detriment of manufacturing companies and consumers. Defective products ultimately pose a safety risk that needs to be avoided at all costs. To this end, scanners play an important role. Different types enable companies in many different industries to carry out quality control in line with their very specific production requirements.

2D scanners combine several images, each the size of a pixel, to create a two-dimensional image.

all pictures

© Gerhard Schubert

Clarity thanks to image processing

Camera-based control systems have been around since the mid-1980s, with the introduction of the Pattern Considering System, or Pacos for short – the first solution of its kind on the market. It revolutionized the world of mechanical packaging lines, which had previously managed without machine image processing. Pacos was the first to offer a program-controlled image analysis system that could recognize unsorted objects on a conveyor belt during the packaging of small parts. This paved the way for the first quality controls, for example, in terms of position and orientation. With the advent of the first picker lines – and with them, wider product belts – the technology proved to be inadequate, as it reached its optical limits at widths of over 600 millimetres. This led to increasing demand for more powerful systems that could reliably inspect products even in large-scale lines, and capture different parameters such as color, shape and dimensions in the process.

2D reflected light scanners

In the early 2000s, 2D scanners marked a turning point, as the wider conveyor belts used by many baked goods manufacturers called for the use of line scan cameras. Unlike area scan cameras, such as those found in smartphones,

they have only one row or line of pixels. Line scan cameras can take fast, one-dimensional images of moving objects and efficiently process even large amounts of data. The devices accomplish this with a very low resolution. They generate individual images of one pixel at a time, and can repeat this process many times in a very short timeframe. By combining many successive lines, a high-resolution color image is created that provides detailed insight into the quality of the products. Deviations, for example, in shape and color, can be reliably detected thanks to this ‘top view’.

The high quality is also ensured by an optical module with a Fresnel lens. Thanks to its ring-shaped structure, this type of lens is thinner and more lightweight than conventional optical lenses, but it focuses and directs light just as efficiently to a specific focal point. This prevents an effect known as parallax, which can make image processing more difficult. The phenomenon refers to the apparent changing position of an object in space when it is viewed from two different points. In image processing, this shift out of the optical axis could cause the products being inspected to appear different, making unambiguous quality assessments a challenge.

A clear view from above

With a Fresnel lens and top-view inspection, 2D scanners can overcome this hurdle. Products are always telecentric, i.e., directly under the optical axis of the cameras – so there is no parallax. The scanners capture color, shape and dimensions, but not height – and therefore cannot be used to represent a 3D object. Instead, for the first time ever, they enabled a modular design that could keep pace with the ever-widening product ranges. Schubert played a major role in initiating this development. The company’s engineers and programmers redesigned the 2D scanner so that the optical modules with camera and sensors measure just 200 millimeters. Depending on the Pickerline, several of these modules can be set up in a row. Even belt widths of up to 1,800 millimeters are not a problem for the 2D scanner.

Product control in three dimensions

However, a view from above is not always sufficient. If products, such as sandwich biscuits, require a specific height, manufacturers also need to be able to assess this so that the biscuits reach the consumer in the desired dimensions. A 2D view would only show the top side of each sandwich biscuit, and therefore always deliver the same image. Beginning in 2014, 3D scanners brought about a decisive change, and Schubert’s scanners cleverly exploited the parallax for this purpose. By having several cameras capture the products from different observation points, their fields of view overlap. The multiple images provide the foundation for a stereoscopic overall image. The scanners calculate the individual segments of the

Image processing

Over the past forty years, Gerhard Schubert GmbH has developed to become an established manufacturer of patented image processing systems. The company dedicated itself to image processing. Since 1985, Schubert has had its own development department – a first for the industry at the time. In the mid-1980s, the company initiated a collaboration that brought together scientists from the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Centre and experts from Crailsheim. Together, Dr Abdelmalek Nasraoui and Dr Josef Pecht – both initially at the nuclear research center and later working at Schubert – and Schubert designed image-processing solutions such as Pacos. The 2D and 3D scanners developed and patented by Schubert are based on this groundwork, but they took into account changing production requirements. Increasingly wider conveyor belts called for modular and efficient solutions to reliably inspect even large product volumes at high speeds. The modular design of the scanners, the light pattern for height detection and picker lines with counter-flow lanes for products and packaging materials are among Schubert’s patented solutions that are now industry standards.

subsequent elevation image from two images with different perspectives.

The patented light pattern approach also contributed to the advancement of 3D technology. Using a special projector, the 3D scanner projects light strips in a specific arrangement onto the product belt. As products pass through this area, they distort the light pattern and provide information about their height. The scanners calculate the 3D image from these distortions, which they pass on to the pick & place robots along with further coordinates such as product position and orientation. This is what makes the robots operable in the first place.

Keeping close track of the products

This interaction between robotics and scanners opened up considerable room for optimization. In Pickerlines and packaging lines, several 2D and 3D scanners often check the quality of different products and pass the information on to the robots. Unlike the position in space, however, quality proves to be a constant: once detected at the beginning of the line, it can be assumed that essential product properties remain until the end of the process. The position of the products, however, can change continuously (for example, due to mechanical influences in the machine, such as belt slippage or belt drift). The product coordinates therefore need to be recorded continuously and, if necessary, corrected and transmitted to the respective robot. So-called tracking scanners can perform these tasks. Unlike reflected light or 3D scanners, they do not check the quality, but merely determine

Dr Abdelmalek Nasraoui (back) and Dr Josef Pecht laid the foundations for the development of image processing at Schubert in 1984.

Product quality, industrial performance, and sustainability. At MECATHERM, we aim to support you everyday as you explore new ideas to stay ahead, and overcome challenges while reducing your carbon footprint. We are developing numerous innovative and sustainable solutions to optimize your energy efficiency throughout your entire production line. Let’s discuss and discover the array of options awaiting you.

where the products are located within the packaging line or picking line.

Each robot cell features a tracking scanner. There is also a one-off 2D or 3D scanner at the beginning of the line to check quality. This enables manufacturers to capture the coordinates more cost-effectively than with several 2D or 3D scanners per line. Technologically, such tracking scanners can already be implemented: cost-efficient area scan cameras and corresponding sensor technology are available on the market. However, leading manufacturers rely on their own developments with a high degree of vertical added value. This is how they achieve cost-efficient scanners with two cameras per module that can be variably retrofitted. The flexible tracking scanners teach robots to see, so to speak, by providing precise information about the position of the products to be packaged.

About Gerhard Schubert GmbH

Leveraging the potential of AI

Especially when it comes to challenging product characteristics, different scanner types soon reach their limits – at least if they are based on algorithms. Variable phenomena such as stains or discoloration are difficult to describe using fixed parameters. This is why line manufacturers are focusing on scanners based on AI. Instead of programming the scanners with algorithms – and with them, rules of action for clearly defined cases – they ‘train’ an underlying vision AI with image data. In the case of stains, this would be images of the relevant products, which can be quickly processed and used to build neural networks thanks to technologies such as embedded GPUs (graphics processing units). Over the long term, these should enable scanners to quickly and accurately capture even products with variable characteristics, ensuring consistently high quality throughout the entire packaging process. +++

Gerhard Schubert GmbH is a market leader in top-loading packaging machines (TLM). For its digital, robot-based packaging machines, the family-owned company based in Crailsheim (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) builds on an interplay of simple mechanics, intelligent control technology and high modularity. With its TLM technology, the machine manufacturer provides its customers with innovative packaging machine solutions that are easy to operate, flexible in terms of format conversion, high-performance and stable in function. The TLM packaging machines pack products into trays, cartons, boxes, or into flow-wrap bags.

Global companies in the consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries use Schubert’s automation solutions, as well as small, medium-sized and family-owned companies. Founded in 1966, the second generation of the company now employs 1,700 people.

Left: Pick & place robots use 3D images and coordinates such as product position and orientation. Right: 3D scanners record objects from different angles and use multiple views to calculate an image that includes not only color, shape and dimensions, but also height.



Cleaning pipelines: ultrasound monitoring

Targeted cleaning can be adapted to the status of the pipelines for efficient operations.

By Yogesh Sharma, Michael Metzenmacher,

+The progressive automation of bakery lines requires the provision of cleaning concepts that can be monitored and controlled using inline methods. While transporting individual dough ingredients, pumpable components (such as pre-ferments and sourdoughs), along with soaker doughs, scaled doughs, batters, and final doughs, deposits accumulate in the pipelines, leading to fouling. With increasing process duration, fouling can detach from the wall and pass into the product. This can lead to a sensory and qualitative reduction in product quality and endanger product safety. Cost-intensive, carbon-based coatings for product-contacting surfaces are currently being investigated to reduce the formation of deposits in pipelines. However, sufficient prevention of deposits is not possible with this approach. Therefore, the deposits must be removed by cleaning-in-place (CIP) programs at the latest after the end of the process.

“The attenuation of the ultrasonic signal can be used as a parameter for monitoring the cleaning process.”

To ensure consistently high product quality and uninterrupted production, intensive cleaning programs must be carried out due to the lack of inline-capable methods to assess the current level of fouling in the system to be cleaned or to evaluate the achieved cleaning success. These cleaning programs are oversized in duration and intensity to achieve thorough cleaning, even in the presence of heavy fouling. An inline cleaning monitoring, on the other hand, would enable targeted cleaning adapted to the respective

Ulrike Vogt, Thekla Alpers, Dominik Geier, Thomas Becker Chair of Brewing and Beverage Technology, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Figure 1: a) Design of an ultrasonic system and propagation of surface waves between sender and receiver. b) Schematic representation of the interactions of surface waves with adhering deposits on the inside of a pipe

fouling level while simultaneously improving product quality and safety, shortening system downtimes, and saving resources.

Detection of deposits in pipelines with ultrasound

An ultrasonic sensor system has been developed for noninvasive detection of deposits, see Figure 1. An ultrasonic sender emits waves along the pipeline while a receiver records the propagating waves. Ultrasonic waves can travel in the pipeline in straight and spiral paths (Figure 1a). The ultrasonic waves also propagate on the inside of the pipe and interact directly with the fouling adhering to the inside of the pipe (Figure 1b). In a clean pipe, the amplitude and energy of the ultrasonic waves decrease with time and distance between sender and receiver due to the attenuation by steel. The reduction in the amplitude of an ultrasonic wave is referred to as attenuation. In the presence of deposits, the attenuation of the ultrasonic waves increases, further reducing the amplitude and energy of the ultrasonic waves detected at the receiver. This principle can be used to detect varying degrees of fouling in the pipeline.

Ultrasonic sensors with a resonance frequency of 2 MHz were used as sender and receiver, and the sampling rate was 50 MHz, thus providing a high temporal resolution in the ultrasonic signals. The received ultrasonic signals were then filtered using a Butterworth bandpass filter. As a model deposit, scald dough with a dough yield ratio of 250 (DY 250) was prepared by mixing whole wheat flour and tap water heated to 100 °C and applied to the inside of the pipe. The comparison between the ultrasonic signals of a clean pipeline and a fouled pipeline is shown in Figure 2. The ultrasonic signal was significantly attenuated in the presence of deposits.

Different amounts of model deposits were applied to the pipe, and the change in the attenuation of the ultrasonic signals was investigated. A deposit of 3.5mg/cm 2 on the pipe's inner surface was defined as a standard deposit. The attenuation of the ultrasonic signals was calculated from the signal with the determined amplitude x and the amplitude of a clean pipe (X 0):

Figure 3 shows the comparison between signal attenuation and the applied amount of fouling.

Cleaning monitoring

A CIP pilot plant was used to monitor cleaning, which allowed stepwise cleaning of the fouling in the pipeline until complete cleaning was achieved. Defined fouled pipelines (5mg/cm 2 scald dough, DY 250) were connected to the CIP pilot plant for cleaning. The developed ultrasonic system was coupled to the pipeline, and an ultrasonic measurement was taken every five seconds. The amount of fouling in the pipe could only be determined before and after cleaning (by tare weight), as this required the pipe to be removed from the CIP pilot plant and weighed. Therefore, cleaning tests were performed with different cleaning times, thus varying the amount of deposits for different cleaning conditions before and after cleaning. Subsequently, the cleaning success was calculated for various cleaning times, as shown in Figure 4. The cleaning program continuously reduced the fouling in the pipeline. The visually determined fouling condition of the pipeline before and after cleaning is also shown in Figure 4. As expected, the attenuation of the ultrasonic signals decreased with the cleaning time, which is consistent with the previous results (see Figure 3). As the cleaning of the

Figure 2: Ultrasonic signals of a clean pipeline and a pipeline with a defined deposit (scalded dough, DY 250)

Figure 3: Comparison of deposit (standard deposit = 3.5 mg/cm2) and signal attenuation

4: Signal attenuation (blue) and cleaning success (orange) during cleaning of a pipeline with an initial deposit of 5 mg/cm2 scalded dough (DY 250). The initial and final conditions of the pipeline are shown on the right

before, during, and after cleaning

Figure

Figure 5: Optimization of CIP processes by ultrasonic monitoring

pipeline progresses, the signal attenuation continues to decrease.

The attenuation of the ultrasonic signal can be used as a parameter for monitoring the cleaning process. A decrease in signal attenuation indicates that fouling has been progressively removed over time. The attenuation plateau corresponds to the plateau of the actual cleaning level. Thus, ultrasonic attenuation can also indicate the end of cleaning. The ultrasonic system was also tested for cleaning other dough systems (e.g., sourdough). It showed comparable results, including the formation of an attenuation plateau, which indicated the end of the cleaning process.

Optimization of CIP processes

In addition to the ‘classical‘ four parameters (temperature, mechanics, chemistry, and time), Sinner's circle can be extended by two further parameters (deposits and hygienic design). Through the extended Sinner's circle (Figure 5), the type and amount of fouling are introduced into the concept. To optimize cleaning, all parameters must be considered. The ultrasonic measurements presented here can be performed

before, during and after cleaning to obtain information about the type and amount of deposits. By determining the initial amount of deposits with ultrasound, an optimal cleaning program (temperature, mechanical, chemical, and time) can be selected. Furthermore, ultrasound-based monitoring can track cleaning progress and adjust rigid cleaning times in CIP cleaning programs by identifying the cleaning end.

By monitoring pipeline cleaning with ultrasound, optimized cleaning programs can be developed that enable adaptive cleaning. Plant operators who rely on cost-efficient cleaning can benefit from this advanced technology, achieve optimized cleaning results, and simultaneously save resources.

Acknowledgment

This IGF Project of the FEI (AiF 18646 N) was supported within the program for promoting the Industrial Collective Research (IGF) of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), based on a resolution of the German Parliament. +++

in four directions in four directions

Simple pleasures, elevated indulgence, empowering choices and sweet connections: these are the four current trends driving the world of sweet bakery goods, according to comprehensive research from Dawn Foods.

+Dawn Foods carries out extensive research spanning the entire world, to find trend dynamics and common denominators that spell opportunities for bakeries and consumers. Released every three years, the Global Bakery Trends are the result of a comprehensive research project conducted by the company’s Global Market Research & Insights team. The team analyzed syndicated industry data from established, renowned sources, then conducted proprietary research including over 2,500 consumer surveys. Dawn also conducted visits for this study to hundreds of bakeries, grocery stores, and foodservice establishments worldwide. This multi-approach methodology provides a global view of the behaviors and motivations shaping bakery consumption.

The trends identified offer a data-driven look at where the sweet bakery industry is headed and how bakers can stay ahead of shifting consumer expectations. Today’s consumers choose sweet baked goods that are an extension of their values, dietary needs and likes. The sweet snacks that will make the cut are those that will be personalized to meet these sets of criteria, while also providing an exciting, great-tasting eating experience.

2025 global bakery trends

+ Sweet connections

Social media is the platform for viral experiences, snacks included. Internet-famous products can launch products into market success instantly. It is a valuable strategic channel: “Food is now part of a global conversation, and bakeries are finding powerful ways to connect with customers through social media. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have made it possible for a single product to go viral overnight, reshaping

discovery, purchase, and brand loyalty,” Dawn’s research underlines, recommending bakers to “Leverage digital platforms for product launches, real-time engagement, and shareable visual storytelling to boost brand awareness and customer connection.”

Key insights:

o 60% of consumers say social media influences them to buy bakery items

o Almost half expect to order food directly from social media in the future

+ Elevated indulgence

Key insights:

Indulgence is no longer reserved for special occasions, the study reveals; it’s become a part of daily routines. “Consumers are elevating their everyday choices with premium ingredients, bold flavors, and creative textures,” Dawn details. Affordable luxury is a lucrative concept. Innovation with high-quality ingredients hold opportunities for bakers specializing in sweet specialties, as well as limited-time offerings that delight with new sensory experiences.

o 72% of consumers see sweet baked goods as affordable luxuries

o 3 in 4 like to try new foods and experiences

+ Simple pleasures

Familiar favorites bring comfort in a world full of noise. Sweet moments rooted in nostalgia, solace and emotional connection make people happy. There are promising opportunities in refreshing classic creations in new, unusual interpretations and “tapping into shared memories to bring people together through

bakery,” Dawn’s research suggests.

Key insights:

o 4 out of 5 consumers like sweet baked goods that remind them of childhood

o Nearly 80% buy baked goods for social gatherings.

+ Empowering choices

Retreating to places of comfort and reimagining taste memories are two valuable ‘ingredients’ that work for new product development. Keeping in mind who the consumers are and what they value adds an extra dimension, by reflecting inclusivity and customization.

“Consumers today want options that reflect their values, preferences, and dietary needs. One-size-fits-all no longer fits and bakeries that offer flexible solutions will earn trust and loyalty,” Dawn’s study finds. This can encompass customizable portions, ingredient transparency and inclusive options, for relatable products.

Key insights:

o More than half of shoppers prioritize a brand's values when making a purchase

o 60% are loyal to brands that prioritize sustainability.

2025 sweet bakery trends in Europe

The Global Bakery Trends, usually unveiled at IBIE, are announced in two parts this year: the first part was revealed in Europe for the first time, at iba in Düsseldorf, highlighting applications from the European markets. Part II will be presented at IBIE in Las Vegas, with North American-specific insights. The European data presented at iba included highlights from the UK, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland.

Social media platforms are transforming how food is perceived and make is part of a global conversation. Viral trends and creative visuals have a major impact on the bakery industry, particularly new product development. Monitoring different platforms is key. “We found that one in two consumers like to try the latest viral food trends. Viral food trends, however, come and go in a few months, so the key is getting ahead of this wave,” Sarah Browner, Market Research and Insights Manager for Dawn Foods Europe and EMEA pointed out in the trend presentation at iba.

One trend that endures today is the pistachio Dubai chocolate, which managed to put a spotlight on traditional

Middle Eastern desserts. The TikTok video stat sparked the trend, dated 2023, has now over 120 million views. Two years later, the Dubai chocolate trend is still around, with big brands taking part in it. “We're seeing new product developments every week,” Dawn’s researcher notes.

This is not limited to chocolate brands, as creations are enthusiastically being prepared across snacking offerings. An example from the Netherlands is the Dubai Pistache Flappen. Dunkin’ Donuts also joined the trend with the recently launched Dubai-style doughnuts. The famous French pastry chef Cédric Grolet has been particularly successful at captivating consumers with short videos on social media, with more than 12.5 million followers, Browner illustrates.

Consumers today view Sweet Bakery as an affordable luxury, through which they can access a VIP experience. A majority (72%) of European consumers believe this, Dawn’s research shows. Next-level buns are a testament to this, as the company found: “We saw a lot of bakeries committing to different sweet buns. Whether cinnamon buns in Germany or home-style buns in the UK, they are all priced between

EUR 5 and 7, so quite affordable. It’s not a premium price, but people are willing to spend it,” she adds.

Limited offers with a twist are attracting attention, too: 3 in 5 consumers look to limited editions for something new and different. Movie and music inspire these: the pinkthemed everything – product launches inspired by the Barbie movie, the Wicked creations, or the ‘brat summer’ branding all celebrate pop-culture moments, with some interesting collaborations.

Childhood nostalgia is another opportunity: 4 in 5 consumers agreed that sweet baked goods remind them of their childhood. In Ireland, the Easter-classic hot cross buns, for instance, are now recreated into innovative creations, available throughout the year, crossing the boundary from a seasonal staple with a traditional recipe. “Hybrids now include hot cross donuts, chocolate hot cross buns, or even hot cross bun flavored cookies,” Browner illustrates.

“The baking industry is evolving faster than ever, and our Global Bakery Trends give our customers the clarity and confidence they need to lead that change,” said Carrie Jones-Barber, CEO of Dawn Foods. +++

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THE RELAY OF PRODUCTION

turnkey; from challenge to synergy

7. Cooling (conventional or VC&B) Vacuum Cooling & Baking is developed to win the race. Substantial savings on oven-time and -capacity and a diminished cooling time allow you to reach the finish in just a fraction of the existing trackrecords.

11. Repeatloaf

To give loaf a second chance Repeatloaf is developed. Returnbread is upcycled to a fermented dry, preservable powder within 24 hours. Ready to re-introduce it in your production. 13-17 SEPT. 2025 LAS VEGAS WEST HALL

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8. Freezing (optional)

4. Make-up 3. Mixing 2. Start 1. Flour / Predough 5. Proofing

9. Packaging

10. Finish

Hybrid (dual fuel) solutions are available on new ovens. Existing ovens can be retrofitted.