At iba, exhibitors will offer a variety of services for the entire baking industry, according to Dieter Dohr, chairman of the management board of GHM Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH. We asked Mr. Dohr and Peter Becker, president of the German Bakers’ Confederation, to provide an insider’s perspective on the upcoming event, which runs Sept. 16-21 in Munich, Germany.
Baking & Snack: What are the major trends in the global baking industry, and how have they changed over the past five years?
Dieter Dohr: The trend for bakers and confectioners is to purchase products from the industry to better meet customer expectations of a wider product range. There is a significant increase in demand for nutritional products that support the health needs of the population. Keywords here are gluten-free bread or low-carb products.
Further topics, which are becoming more important, are packaging solutions, process optimization and automation of snacks, brought-in items and convenience products. In various markets worldwide, it has become increasingly apparent that bakers are developing a store concept that could be called a “lifestyle bakery.” Here, consumers will find the complete range of products for takeaway or take-home or for enjoying in the store. The demand and range in this regard is continuously expanding.
Peter Becker: Resource management is one of the main challenges for the whole industry, and that means energy efficiency, how raw materials are purchased, how to recruit talented young employees as well as process optimization. Furthermore, it becomes clear that there is greater and stronger competition from food retailers as they run their own production plants to a large extent.
What innovations and advances in baking equipment do you expect iba attendees will see?
Mr. Dohr: The focus will cover all sectors of the baking market, including production technology, raw ingredients, packaging, process optimization, food for “on the go” and shop fittings.
For the trade visitor intending to invest in new energy-efficient production technology, a visit to iba is a must. Nowhere else can one find such a selection of ovens, slicing machines, storage technology and equipment for dough and patisserie preparation because iba is the only venue at which the exhibitors display their complete product range every three years. These manufacturing components are complemented by the whole gamut of technology surrounding refrigeration, fermentation and air-conditioning.
Unique to iba, too, is the display of fully assembled baking production lines and production line technology — which, as one would expect in the “world’s largest bakery,” can be seen in operation. Nothing less than these daily live demonstrations will adequately convey the capabilities of the different machines, as the visitor watching them in action, close up at the Munich iba, will quickly appreciate.
This time round, for example, such groups as retail bakery proprietors, major producers, dough piece manufacturers and representatives of food retailing are expecting a much expanded product range in the packaging technology and packaging solutions segment. The product palette concerned ranges from eco-friendly, super-hygienic and material-saving packaging solutions for bread, dough, cakes or patisserie to packaging machines dedicated to wrapping, shaping, filling, palletizing, tracking and labeling. Flanking the packaging section will be a representative selection of machinery covering every stage of the manufacturing process — from logistics to process optimization and control systems.
As a segment of ever-growing importance to bakers and pastry makers, on-the-go consumption obviously has to feature at iba — the entire “food on the go” concept is one sector that has great potential for the future. Tips will therefore be available on how to prepare snacks that go beyond the wraps, bagels and muffins that are usually offered. Furthermore bakers and patissiers at the fair learn everything they will need so as to be prepared for the rising demand for ice-cream, chocolate, patisseries and packaged sweet desserts.
Another strong trend is the growing desire of our customers for good coffee. At the iba, you can compare the different types of coffee machine and sample the different coffee flavors for yourself directly on-site.
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