The ‘staff of life’ is changing. What must surely ranks as one of the world’s oldest foodstuffs is no longer just a standardised commodity: much more care is now being taken over the ingredients used to make it, in response to a new consumer demand. To learn more about the direction innovation is heading in, we talked to two baking equipment manufacturers.

“Automation of production, smaller, higher-quality batches, sustainability in processes and ingredients are the main trends,” explains Paolo Zunino, chief executive officer of WAICO, who points out that clients now want more high-performance machinery which can also deal with smaller batches, business models based on a continuous supply of freshly-baked items, ways of extending the length of time the bread will stay fresh for and reducing the baked surface, as well as multi-purpose ovens.

Other trends include a demand for more versatile, simpler operations, like moving, weighing and cleaning, consistency of performance and attractive designs.

“What we are seeing is a fragmentation of the ‘purchasing group’ in the bread sector: on the one hand there is the old generation that always bought bread for consumption on a daily basis and as an accompaniment to the various meals of the day. On the other is the modern consumer whose life runs in tandem with new trends that are big on innovative content, one who wants to know the origin of ingredients,” explains Massimiliano Baroni, managing director of Tagliavini. “The preference is for bread made using new techniques and ingredients, like sourdough and alternative flours, resulting in a product that will improve wellbeing (protein-rich, high in health benefits, compatible with a balanced diet). We are seeing more and more large loaves and various other tempting ideas that are purchased as impulse buys, rather on a regular daily basis. Then we are seeing an increase in focaccia-style products, which generate higher revenues from sales. And finally, production is branching out into sweet products, which were once the exclusive preserve of pastry shops”.

On the innovation front, the ideas coming out of the Emilia-based company range “from in-company manufacturing processes that optimise production to brand-new, IoT-based digital control systems which support clients and provide truly important assistance in the management of all bakery kitchens.” On top of that: “at this crucial moment in time, with all the concerns regarding energy and raw materials, we can first and foremost guarantee the lowest consumption levels on the market thanks to technology that has enabled us to present exceptionally high-performance ovens offering a more than 30% saving compared with rival brands. And the process through which oven controls have been modernised, allowing the whole kitchen to be interconnected, also optimises production cycles.”

All the latest innovations in equipment, ovens, kneaders, blast chillers and other machinery, as well as in furnishings, will be on show at HostMilano 2023, in the Bakery Pasta and Pizza area, at fieraMilano Rho, from 13 to 17 October.