News

New granola line from Reading Bakery Systems

Reading Bakery Systems has introduced a Baked Granola Production Line, a complete system including mixing, dispensing, and baking technologies. “With more of today’s consumers focused on health and wellness, the opportunity for healthy baked snacks like granola continues to grow. We are pleased to offer a complete Granola and Granola Bar Production Line to the snack food industry built on leading technology and unmatched flexibility,” said Shawn Moye, vice president of Sales, RBS. The new line comprises an AMF Batch Mixer, an RBS Omega IV Dispenser with an overhead kibbler, and PRISM Emithermic Oven. The line offers the flexibility to incorporate topping conveyors after the oven, and a guillotine cutter and slitter for bar applications. The Omega IV Dispenser with Kibbler can be fitted to a wirecut cookie line to make granola, as well, according to RBS. The same oven is used to bake both types of products.

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Sugden expands product range, acquires Vanderpol

UK-based Sugden Ltd, specializing in the design and manufacture of hotplate systems, has launched the Mini Hotplate system to its portfolio of equipment, a line specifically designed to help small- and medium-sized bakeries manufacture a range of products on a single piece of equipment with a small footprint. The new, semiautomatic equipment is designed and developed to incorporate all of the technologies used in the company’s larger systems. It can produce up to 1,200 quality, batter-based products (such as pancakes, crumpets and pikelets) per hour and it can also be used for sheeted products such as potato scones and Welsh cakes, the company announced at the launch. The company also recently acquired the intellectual property of Vanderpol Waffle Systems (previously part of AMF Bakery Systems Europe BV), so it can now manufacture, supply and install a wide-range of industry-leading waffle and funcake systems. The acquisition marks Sugden’s plans to further grow in 2021, both in the UK and internationally. Over the last five years, the company has doubled in size, with turnover growing to GBP5.5m over 2019/20. +++

Puratos buys Ruskhleb

Puratos announced it has acquired Ruskhleb, a bakery ingredient manufacturer from Saint Petersburg, in a bid to expand its presence on the Russian market, with locally-made sourdough varieties. To supply more customers in the country, Puratos also said it was investing in new and local sourdough productions. “We are proud to strengthen our presence in Russia and to continue acting as an innovative partner for a market that has been so welcoming to us for more than two decades,” Olivier Tilkens, regional director Northern & Eastern Europe, © innazagorulko – stock.adobe.com Puratos, said in a statement. Over the years Puratos has developed expertise in natural fermentation and knowledge of baking cultures from all over the world, acting as a leader in the sourdough ready-to-use market for more than 30 years. +++

Ireland: Twomeys Bakery to supply Aldi with cakes

Ireland's Twomeys Bakery will supply Aldi Ireland with Apple Tarts, Fruit Scones, Apple Sponges and Apple Crumbles next year. The pastries will be sold under Aldi's own brand name Grainne's Bakery in all of its 145 stores in the country. The discounter has confirmed the EUR1.5m deal, which has been agreed for 12 months, as reported by the portal “rte.ie”. Twomeys Bakery, based in Dromcolliher in County Limerick, began working with Aldi at the end of 2019. The company employs approx. 44 staff and supplies other retailers including Tesco and Spar as well as SuperValu in Ireland. The range includes around 50 different breads and cakes. +++

Lotus Bakeries invests in Partake

Belgian biscuit manufacturer Lotus Bakeries has completed a minority investment in USbased Partake Foods through its FF2032 capital fund. Partake is reportedly a fast-growing brand of gluten-free and allergy-friendly biscuits. The range includes soft and hard biscuits in a variety of flavors.

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© Lotus Bakeries

MECATHERM parent company takes over bagel equipment specialist ABI

© MECATHERM

French company TMG (Together Means Greater), owner of MECATHERM, has acquired a majority stake in the Canadian ABI Auto-Bake Industries Ltd. Headquartered in Toronto. ABI is one of North America's leading producers of bagelmaking equipment, automation systems and robotics for bakeries. The company is led by founder and CEO Alex Kuperman, employs around 80 people and has annual sales of approx. CAD20m (EUR12.8m). MECATHERM is headquartered in Barembach, France, and produces industrial ovens and production lines for the manufacture of baked goods. The company headed by Olivier Sergent manufactures at two locations in France and generates an annual turnover of around EUR100 m with 420 employees. The two companies have already collaborated in advance and jointly launched a line for industrial bagel production called MECABAGEL in September 2020. The forming, cooking, sprinkling and drying stations came from ABI, while the proofing, baking, cooling and freezing came from MECATHERM. For the cooking process of traditional bagel production, ABI developed a very special solution, the so-called ‘waterfall’ cooking. According to TMG, the acquisition strengthens the international presence of MECATHERM and ABI LTD and expands their product range of innovative solutions for industrial bakeries. +++

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