A bold and sustainable new step

It will soon be one year since the invasion of Ukraine began. Since then, we have been experiencing an unprecedented energy crisis, with Europe scrambling to mitigate staggering hikes in prices and secure new sources. The baking industry has been bearing the brunt of this instability, the worst Europe has witnessed, arguably, since WW2, with the war swiftly adding to the disruptions brought on by two years of various degrees of global lockdowns.

We’ve witnessed businesses shutter, with smaller bakeries being particularly vulnerable to energy bills that have grown by up to 400% overnight, in some parts of Europe. We supported national associations to amplify their message as they were lobbying for state aid. And we were delighted to witness solidarity in action, as the EU energy ministers reached an agreement during the Energy Council in December to have market correction mechanisms established to protect people and economies against excessively high gas prices. The new measures will make it possible for member states and energy companies to purchase gas together on global markets, rather than competing over it. The new regulation aims to limit “episodes of excessive gas prices that do not reflect world market prices”, and also contributes to energy supply security and financial market stability. ‘Stability’ is the key word here, with countries being able to ensure uninterrupted energy throughout the (eventful, albeit mild) winter. What’s more, not only has Europe been able to secure energy without the Nord Stream, but natural gas prices have also returned to pre-war prices. And falling energy prices have also helped with inflation: across the European countries using the Euro currency, consumer price inflation dropped to 9.2% in December from 10.1% in November.

What’s more, the conversation is now clearly geared toward sustainability, which has quickly escalated from a ‘nice to have’ long-term, loosely-defined goal to a must-have priority for immediate, measurable results. The same Council meeting also put on paper the agreement “to accelerate deployment of renewable energy”, in this regard. The ‘green transition’ is meant to lower the dependency on fossil fuels and reduce energy dependencies altogether, while turning the page to an urgently needed cleaner environment.

These are steps for which the baking industry has been preparing. Its resilience has been relying on it. With a vast majority of new developments geared toward improving sustainability in operations, we’ve started a year of promising new solutions that will propel bigger strides in this direction. Overdue trade events are returning and are already preparing to host new innovations. Exciting changes are ahead!

Catalina Mihu

Packaging Sustainability

Widely different concepts, approaches and methods lead to advancing sustainability throughout a company’s operations. For Kwik Lok, sustainable materials used in packaging closures are immediately visible as a result of this mindset.

Highlights

MIXING

Managing energy consumption is a growing concern for bakers, in Europe and beyond, now and for the long term. How can equipment help industrial bakery, pastry, and snack manufacturers reduce their energy consumption?

INTERPACK ’23

The ‘simply unique’ interpack returns after six years of forced absence during the pandemic, with a clear business idea – a renewed hall concept based on clear points of interest for each industry, targeted exhibition areas, new specialty shows and forums.

Cutting And Packaging

To maximize the benefits of automating bread slicing and bagging, industrial bakeries need to keep their customization options open.

PINSA PRODUCTION, FROM PAST PERFECT TO FUTURE SIMPLE

The beginnings of pinsa making go all the way back to the Roman Empire. A fresh new take on the Roman pinsa is now rising to the top among consumer favorites all over the world.

Vegan Cookies

Research by Future Market Insights puts the vegan cookies market at USD 359.23 million in 2023 and anticipates it to reach USD 773.31 million by 2033.

PACKAGING

06 Kwik Lok: The science of sustainability

INTERPACK

20 Trade shows: An anticipated return – interpack ‘23

25 Exhibitor news: Stand previews

MIXING

10 VMI: Energy savings improve sustainability

14 Exact Mixing: Continuous mixing for higher volumes

CUTTING AND PACKAGING

16 BAKON: Cutting straight to the chase – cakes

18 AMF Bakery Systems: Sliced, bagged and delivered

LAMINATING AND SHEETING

22 Rademaker: Pinsa production, from past perfect to future simple

SCIENCE

26 ttz: Margarine versus oil performance in bakery applications

34 Campden BRI: Egg replacement challenges and solutions

MARKETS

32 AIBI: From Europe, with grain

COOKIES

37 Vegan cookies: New ingredients drive product segment

REG ULARS

03 Editorial: “A bold and sustainable new step”

36 News

38 Advertiser directory