bakink+biscuit 2022-03 digital

Innovation, automation and sustainable solutions to futureproof your facility.

03 22

www.bakingbiscuit.com

Visit us at booth 3425

In the spotlight

Production

Automation

FRITSCH and MULTIVAC, a lucrative partnership

Cakes, pastries, pies: complete lines

Artificial Intelligence baking

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EDITORIAL

An eye for detail

Catalina Mihu, Editor-in-chief Your commments or suggestions are always appreciated: e-mail: mihu@foodmultimedia.de

A lot has happened since the previous issue of our magazine was published.

What seemed like the longest winter is finally behind us and we can travel more comfortably once again, with fewer forms to fill out and test requirements. The quiet expectancy to carefully consider profound disruption before reacting is no longer paralyzing action and planning, both in everyday life and in business. Spring is here, at last, and we are busy making plans again.

The energy to return to business, as usual or otherwise, but to return, regardless, is much in evidence. As fiscal year results are coming in, it is quantifiable.

Baker & Baker announced a EUR 450 m turnover in its first year as a standalone business. Formerly known as CSM Bakery Solutions, the bakery separated from CSM Ingredients in April 2021. One year later, Baker & Baker reports a 14% growth, despite material price fluctuations and COVID-19-related issues everywhere in Europe. John Lindsay, the company’s CEO, shared with us how this was accomplished in an interview you can read in the pages of this magazine. Another example of outstanding results comes from FRITSCH, as it is set on a record-breaking path, three years after its acquisition by MULTIVAC. The orders it received in Q1 alone amount to more than EUR 35 m; at the same time, the company is launching new equipment and opening a new World of Bakery, raising anticipation levels for what happens next.

As we are preparing this new issue of our magazine and making plans of our own for the next, I came across an article about the 404 web error. Everyone who has ever had, managed, or even read a website has encountered it. Until we fix the code on our own websites, the 404 error announces that the server could not find the requested information.

It was interesting to read because we are managing brand new websites ourselves, which you are welcome to visit and we are excited about: www.bakingbiscuit.com and www.brotundbackwaren.de (no 404 errors here, we are regularly checking!). I also read it because there is an entire ‘404 culture’, if I can call it that, of incredibly creative messages lovingly placed on this page, showing the value of caring for the smallest details, even something as simple as a notification page.

This care for all the smallest of details is something we share, in media and every aspect of the baking industry: from the angle, amplitude and intricate design of a cut when scoring bread, to inspecting products with advanced vision systems and finetuning every aspect in production to minimize the number of imperfect products. Unique selling points come from all kinds of unexpected details and creativity is the name of the game in new product development. The list could fill volumes – and we will continue to diligently explore them in our articles, to help spark creativity.

Catalina Mihu

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CONTENTS

28 © MULTIVAC

06

HIGHLIGHTS

© Mecatherm

COVER STORIES

© Lesaffre

PRODUCTION

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Equipment is essential in supporting efficient production

Christian Traumann, MULTIVAC Managing Director

and high product quality over a diverse range of patisserie

and Group President, and Andreas Eyd, Managing

specialties. Flexible lines can accommodate a generous product

Director, FRITSCH Bakery Technologies, shared with

variety, with a wide range of customization options to choose

us the strategy of the two companies and how it

from for various steps.

continues to nurture the success at FRITSCH.

34 © AMF

© f2m

14 VISIT

PRODUCTION

When Ebbing Bakery installed the Smartline Model I dough band

Unique eating experiences are a defining

line, which had just been launched into operation in 2001, it was

characteristic of snacking; they are especially

a first in the industry. 16 years later, the company opted for the

expected when the choices are cakes and pastries.

Rondo line for the second time, now in its new generation.

INTERVIEW

AUTOMATION Innovation in Artificial Intelligence algorithms can be applied to baking processes for improved results.

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EUR 450 m and 14% growth in its first year as a standalone business. These results are particularly remarkable in a COVID year and against supply chain

50

issues and spikes in energy costs. John Lindsay, the company’s CEO, shares how © Baker&Baker

18

Baker & Baker reported a turnover of

© SENSURES

04

the business made such progress and gives us a glimpse into the second year and beyond.

CONTENTS

Media to the global baking industry

IN THE SPOTLIGHT 06

Interview: Christian Traumann, MULTIVAC Managing Director and Group President, and Andreas Eyd, Managing Director, FRITSCH Bakery Technologies

Food2Multimedia is a publishing house operating at an international level and specializing in researching and editing technical information for the baking sector.

PRODUCTION 14

AMF Bakery Systems: Cakes, pastries, muffins: Unlimited possibilities with specialty lines

22

ABI LTD: Automated scoring systems, robotics

28

Mecatherm: Practical patisserie solutions

AUTOMATION 18

SENSURE: A strong Synapse to Artificial Intelligence baking

SUSTAINABILITY 26

Heuft: Oven alternatives for energy management Innovation, automation and sustainable solutions to futureproof your facility.

SCIENCE 30

Campden BRI: Next-generation bread quality assessment

44

Baking powder: Suppression in a pound cake using an overpressure strategy

03 22

VISIT 34

Ebbing Bakery: A quantum leap

40

MPREIS and Therese Mölk Bakery: All in one system

www.bakingbiscuit.com

Visit us at booth 3425

In the spotlight

Production

Automation

FRITSCH and MULTIVAC, a lucrative partnership

Cakes, pastries, pies: complete lines

Artificial Intelligence baking

baking+biscuit international Our specialist journal concentrating on production professionals in large companies in the industrial and chain-store sectors.

Published six times a year in the English language.

DECORATING Dawn Foods: Underneath the glow – icings and glazings

f2m Food2Multimedia GmbH

42

INTERVIEW 50

John Lindsay, Baker & Baker CEO: ‘A well-prepared journey’

AUTOMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Editorial: ‘An eye for detail’

54

Advertiser directory

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Dictionary of bakery terms English

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Glosario de términos sobre tecnologías de panificación

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Built for success: a lucrative partnership Since its acquisition by MULTIVAC in 2019, the FRITSCH Group has been soaring: sales grew by 40% in 2021, a year that saw various pandemic restrictions throughout. It also recorded the best quarterly result in its history, in 2022, and a record-breaking EUR 35 m in incoming orders, while new equipment was also introduced. Christian Traumann, MULTIVAC Managing Director and Group President, and Andreas Eyd, Managing Director, FRITSCH Bakery Technologies, shared with us the strategy of the two companies, leading up to these results, and how it continues to nurture the success at FRITSCH.

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Catalina Mihu: FRITSCH Bakery Technologies recently announced it recorded a sales growth of 40% in 2021.

Where were the biggest sales recorded?

Andreas Eyd: We registered a tremendous fourth quarter, and the momentum is continuing this year, starting from the first months of the year. We’ve seen the biggest growth in Eastern and Western Europe, but also in North America and elsewhere. MULTIVAC’s organization, with 83 subsidiaries worldwide, has been hugely beneficial as we are able to reach many countries; and the results are showing.

Mihu: Which segment saw the biggest sales increase?

Andreas Eyd: Our customers typically look for the highest possible line flexibility, to support product diversity. They want to follow trends and the ability to easily introduce new products on their lines. This is why they frequently choose our IMPRESSA universal solution, which has the highest flexibility. In addition, our MULTITWIST pretzel solution is highly requested all over the world. Typically, pretzels are considered very European – German, or even Bavarian regional specialty. But, we have sold these machines in Asia, in the U.S., and the demand for the MULTITWIST continues to grow. A customer from Southern Europe recently visited and requested this line. As customers are looking for product diversity, this line can also be used with sweet and soft doughs, which are preferred in Asia, for example. Having these options available helps to give bakers new ideas for new markets.

Mihu: As FRITSCH is reporting impressive growth, events outside of the bakery world call for attention nevertheless.

How do you perceive the war in Ukraine?

Christian Traumann: First of all, it must be said that we deeply admire the bravery of the Ukrainian people and President Selenskyj. MULTIVAC is doing everything we can to support them. Our thoughts are with all those who risk their lives to protect their freedom, and, by extension, our freedom, too.

In addition to our daughter company in Ukraine, we also employ good, hard-working people in Russia, and we admire those who take to the street to protest against this war there. Generally, this is a grief-filled humanitarian issue; business-wise, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus account for only

www.bakingbiscuit.com 03/2022

2% of our global turnover, which will be around EUR 1.5 bn this year, according to our first estimation. The impact on our business will be limited.

Mihu: How is FRITSCH utilizing MULTIVAC’s sales and service network?

Christian Traumann: We are active in close to 170 countries as MULTIVAC and have 83 daughter companies. We follow the same strategy whenever we acquire a new company.

When we took over FRITSCH in August 2019, we immediately put our efforts into our own sales subsidiaries, to support their portfolio. We put our people through very intense training, as many had limited knowledge regarding bakery. It was a cumbersome process, but now we have the people up to speed. At our World of Bakery in Kitzingen, we trained people, in person as well as online when possible, due to COVID. On the other hand, FRITSCH has given us a great headstart, with its amazing people! The results are showing in our current order intake: we are taking full advantage of having FRITSCH be a part of an international organization.

Mihu: What new doors opened right away for FRITSCH after joining MULTIVAC? Andreas Eyd: Going back to August 2019, when FRITSCH came out of insolvency and was taken over by MULTIVAC, our customers were reassured to see things stabilizing and FRITSCH back in the market. The reason is simple: we provide high-quality lines and the resulting end products are also excellent. Some might have wondered about the association between FRITSCH and MULTIVAC, “What does MULTIVAC, a packaging machine specialist, know about dough?”. What we saw instead was a high cross-selling potential: we brought many customers to meet MULTIVAC and learn about packaging and automation solutions and, in turn, MULTIVAC brought a lot of customers who were interested in our bakery technology solutions – a huge benefit for all of us.

Building the business plan Mihu: What investments were made at MULTIVAC’s subsidiaries to create specialized sales teams for bakery, aside from staff training?

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Christian Traumann: Luckily, the merger took place in August, which is when we do our business planning for the following year. We immediately gave every daughter company the task to set up a business plan that would include a budget for bakery to build expertise and participate in trade shows. Moreover, we have just opened a new World of Bakery center in Canada for the North American market and we are soon opening more, in South America, Asia and Australia. We are investing extensively in bakery, in addition to what we have been putting into FRITSCH. We are investing in our sales organization, to give them the ability to sell. We are already seeing a boom in sales.

Mihu: What did the new business plan include for FRITSCH right after the takeover, what aspects did it include that were not accessible to the company before?

Christian Traumann: To evaluate the situation at the time honestly, FRITSCH did not go into insolvency without reason.

During our due diligence and the takeover process, what we found at FRITSCH was a perfect brand, very good technology, and highly motivated people. We also found a poor organizational structure, which we needed to tweak and adjust. We saw that we were not globally present, which was also something to work on. The plan was to bring all these aspects together, including investments (such as the enormous building investment that we are now tackling, and in IT, to name a few), to bring FRITSCH back to a technology level where they could operate internationally. To summarize it in one word, the plan was to internationalize FRITSCH.

“To summarize it in one word, the plan was to internationalize FRITSCH.”

© MULTIVAC

Christian Traumann, MULTIVAC Managing Director and Group President

Mihu: What changes did the organizational structure require?

Andreas Eyd: To combine MULTIVAC’s huge organization with the one at FRITSCH, we had to adapt our sales team, and to coordinate with the Group’s daughter companies.

We now have sales directors who are responsible for certain areas – for North America, Eastern Europe, or Asia, for example. We understand the daughter companies and MULTIVAC’s subsidiaries all over the world as customers; we try to help them to grow their bakery technology business in their markets. It is a completely different setup in terms of sales. The same thing is true in terms of service: we have a small team, which we call “the flying doctors”, that steps in to help out if there is a major problem on the line. They are flying around the world, helping out.

All the smaller problems that might arise on the line can already be carried out by MULTIVAC. They have the knowledge and great experience in MULTIVAC lines as well, which is an important asset. If you compare a MULTIVAC line with a FRITSCH solution, they are 80% similar, from the mechanical to the electric setup, elements that are easy to understand and replace when needed. Differences revolve around the parts of the equipment coming into contact with the dough. For these areas, we have our 20 Master Bakers who provide assistance.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Christian Traumann: In addition, we have close to 1,000 service technicians on our payroll, spread out all over the world. There are six of them even on the south island of New Zealand, for example, so we can make sure that bakery companies are thoroughly looked after.

Mihu: What about the team of “flying doctors”, who are they?

Andreas Eyd: They are eight specialists based here with us, in the factory. They also cover training, if we have live sessions on-site and they are available. They are highly specialized in the equipment.

Christian Traumann: With a very similar organization to our traditional products, we will also have a key team here that can take over situations at any time. But, generally, the staff manages quite well within their facilities – also because they have received great training from FRITSCH. The team at FRITSCH has contributed immensely to help train their colleagues from the world-wide MULTIVAC organization.

Andreas Eyd: We founded the FRITSCH Academy, by the way, where our specialists train all the Group’s employees in the world who are working with FRITSCH lines, from sales to service.

Building on each other’s strengths Mihu: The teams are closely coordinated in their work, in this way. How do you see the partnership between FRITSCH and parent group MULTIVAC now, almost three years since the takeover?

Christian Traumann: When we first learned that FRITSCH was up for sale, we had a very clear plan of what we wanted to do. We immediately understood that FRITSCH was a perfect fit for MULTIVAC. We had touchpoints with them even before the acquisition, because their solutions are upstream of our lines, producing all those wonderful baked goods, which we then packed. This was a great starting point for us as we knew that, if we want to generate growth, as a world market leader in packaging and processing, we need to look for new, lucrative fields. We clearly identified the bakery business as one of them, a growing industry everywhere in the world. From our organization, we delegated Andreas to be responsible for the sales and organization, and Frank Gabriel, together managing directors at FRITSCH. They brought the history and culture of MULTIVAC on board and are familiar with the touchpoints in the factory.

But, we tried to keep the management team of FRITSCH alive and acknowledge their expertise. We clearly wanted to preserve the know how and experience of the team at FRITSCH. Andreas Eyd: Exactly, the MULTIVAC Group is like a big family; that is what we live and what we feel since day one, minute one in August 2019, when FRITSCH was integrated into the Group. It’s a truly sustainable integration, in which people are taking care of us and we take care of them. We learn from each other as we have become an even bigger family with FRITSCH as a new member. I have seen mergers

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and acquisitions that turn out like a collection of brand names; they buy, they sell. Companies are left as they were, without any real integration behind them. Our case is entirely different: we are a real member of not just the group, but the MULTIVAC family.

Christian Traumann: We are making a very clear statement: FRITSCH is here to stay.

Mihu: So you are finding the value in preserving the identity of FRITSCH as a part of MULTIVAC. Christian Traumann: That’s right; it’s about using our synergies to provide the customer with a unique customer experience.

Andreas Eyd: That is also part of MULTIVAC’s philosophy: acquisitions are integrated in many ways; but, they keep the identity that made the company valuable in the first place.

We are keeping our red logo – FRITSCH is a good brand name, with a good value. Everything else is thoroughly integrated.

Mihu: FRITSCH was previously represented by its own subsidiaries and network of sales and service partners.

After the integration, it no longer has its own subsidiaries and instead uses MULTIVAC’s network. How was this decision taken?

Christian Traumann: After the acquisition, we immediately aimed to integrate FRITSCH’s sales organizations into our existing network. We integrated the people working for these sales organizations into the Group. Our own sales organization is always structured with business units: there is a ‘FRITSCH’ business unit within the individual country sales organizations. We did have many dealers, with which we tried to find amicable solutions – and, in many countries, we succeeded. We had to terminate some, and for a few others, we found alternative solutions (such as looking after special segments). We always try to identify individual solutions. This is what I think is special about MULTIVAC, because we absolutely agree that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We are trying to learn and understand all the details: was the dealer interested in working with us?, how good was their performance in the past? That is how we find solutions in each case.

And building solutions together Mihu: You mentioned integrated solutions; how are such complete solutions developed, with equipment from FRITSCH and MULTIVAC? Andreas Eyd: FRITSCH and MULTIVAC cooperate closely to provide complete solutions, from A to Z, from FRITSCH baking equipment to MULTIVAC packaging machines. More than this, we also work closely together with MULTIVAC to expand solutions in areas such as automation, digital services and hygienic design. There is a huge demand for automation, not only for industrial customers, but also (more and more) for mid-sized operations that need automation to cope with

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

“Automation will be a big topic in the future; several cross-company automation solutions are under development.”

© FRITSCH

Andreas Eyd, Managing Director, FRITSCH Bakery Technologies

the lack of people or skills. We are developing our digital services jointly, which helps the process to gain considerable speed, always with the ultimate goal to produce integrated solutions from FRITSCH and MULTIVAC, whenever possible.

Mihu: How are custom solutions automated by FRITSCH together with MULTIVAC? Christian Traumann: We have a traditional automation business at MULTIVAC, which slightly exceeds EUR 100 m in annual turnover. Our products are also very individual, so we are used to building one-off machines; it’s in our DNA. Our products vary: we have lines that run up to six different packaging products, with a high degree of automation, for example.

Andreas Eyd: It’s the same with FRITSCH. These are highly individual solutions. Our discussions with customers always start with their idea of an end product, this is what our customers show us first of all. Then we talk about the process that is needed to achieve it, and develop the solution together with the customer. Automation solutions are also highly individual, developed by FRITSCH and MULTIVAC together with the customers.

Mihu: What trends can be inferred from the best-sold solutions last year? And how are they reflected in the R&D going forward?

Andreas Eyd: There are big challenges regarding R&D. Markets are developing and flexible solutions are highly sought-after. People want to be flexible and no longer want to buy mono-lines. It is a conclusion we reached in many conversations with customers recently: the end of the mono-line is here. While bakeries would run a single product for as long as three years in the past, they now have to

change the product every couple of months, if not sooner.

Mihu: And what do such trends mean for your combined strategy?

Christian Traumann: We have a basic research team of around 50 people in addition our traditional business units.

We also have additional R&D teams within our business units, which conduct focused, individual research. These R&D teams at the Group headquarters and at FRITSCH work closely together to jointly develop solutions and new technologies for our customers.

As Andreas said, these integrated lines are not only integrated from dough to ready-packed product, they can extend from flour to stored product, for example. That is where we can add substantial value.

Mihu: Speaking of flexibility, what projects have you recently developed in collaboration?

Andreas Eyd: For all types of products, from bread to pizza or laminated products, we see a trend for variation. We have a presentation with over 160 slides of just product innovations, which our customers are excited to see. We can find ways to produce them together at the World of Bakery.

Variations can be in shapes or recipes. We see growth in ancient grains and a revival of gluten-free products, for example. There are increasingly more customers looking to combine high volume with high-quality, artisan-style products.

This is one of the things we are currently working on, to develop solutions for the challenges in this process.

Christian Traumann: On the technical side, we are now introducing a new, compact bread line into the market (the PROGRESSA bread line). Solutions for extruded products are also in demand. Consequently, we deliver respective innovative technical solutions in close cooperation with our

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

customers. The product is what everyone wants to touch and inspect, as I have learned over the past few years.

Andreas Eyd: There is virtually no customer who will ask for a certain machine, indeed. They are always showing the product, which is something highly emotional in the bakery business. You can see it with our customers and our Master Bakers. The line we just launched is a mid-sized solution with high weight accuracy, low oil consumption, and a hygienic design. It is already receiving excellent feedback, and orders are coming in.

EUR 1.5 BN MULTIVAC’S ESTIMATED 2022 TURNOVER Mihu: On the topic of innovation, the World of Bakery provides the stage for new developments. What work should be noted?

Andreas Eyd: We look at the major trends influencing our business, from digital services to cloud-based solutions, to connecting all process steps and harmonizing our HMIs. Sustainability also ranks high on this list and we are working with MULTIVAC to provide solutions in this regard.

We are looking into lowering the total cost of ownership, having less oil on the line, less scrap dough and using less energy and, for example. These are requests we are currently receiving at the World of Bakery. In addition, customers also ask about the latest trends in packaging materials like reusable packaging solutions with fiber-based materials, which is where we find the value in having FRITSCH work in combination with MULTIVAC.

A new building entirely Mihu: FRITSCH is currently looking for a new location in Lower Franconia. Please share details about this project and the facilities planned.

Christian Traumann: When we bought FRITSCH, we saw from the beginning that the facilities were not fully suitable.

This is why, at first, we just rented the facilities instead of buying them outright. At the moment, we have five facilities spread around Kitzingen and Einersheim, on a radius of around 15 km, which is not efficient or sustainable in the long run. We went through a feasibility study and reached the conclusion that we need a completely new factory in the same area, because we want to maintain our existing, well-trained and highly motivated personnel. We need a state-of-the-art production and a facility that accommodates the expectations of our employees and those of our customers. And, last but not least: we want to grow, so we need more space anyway. This is why we are now looking for 100,000 sqm of land for the new facility.

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Mihu: What will the new facility comprise?

Christian Traumann: It will house everything to make sure we do not need to travel, from sheet metal production, drilling and milling, to R&D and offices.

Mihu: You mentioned a very important aspect: sustainability.

How is it considered in everyday operations and in the strategy going forward?

Christian Traumann: At MULTIVAC, there is a standard process for developing products. If there is no digitalization to a development project or no sustainability benefit, it will not go into production. All developments in the MULTIVAC Group must take into account sustainability and include digitalisation.

Andreas Eyd: We share the same philosophy at FRITSCH in this regard, so we follow the same policy. We just launched a new line, which uses 10% of the oil similar machines require, for example. As customers are asking for lower costs of ownership, this amounts to significant savings in oil costs over 10-15 years. Highly efficient motors, for example, are also in demand. We are now offering retrofit kits for existing machines to bring motors to the highest possible level of efficiency.

Mihu: What work is being conducted at the Technology Center currently and what are the plans for this resource after the facility expansion?

Andreas Eyd: The current workload is great. Not many customers could visit during the lockdowns, obviously, but we used that time to brainstorm product innovations with our Master Bakers. This is where our huge product list was developed. We now have three customers working on the lines almost every day, on average, to test the lines, their existing products, or new innovations. We organize demonstration runs and help with recipe development, as even products older than a decade can have changes in their formulations. The easiest way to do this is by running tests at the World of Bakery, to reduce sugar or yeast in the dough, for example.

We also organize ‘Live Experience’ exhibitions for up to three customers at the same time who send in advance details of what they would like to see. We prepare a program and host a complete day on a specific topic. At the end of the day, they leave with a few boxes of end products and they are thrilled to see the results first-hand.

Mihu: Right after the takeover, the world started going through unprecedented disruptive changes, from COVID-19, to the energy crisis, price volatility and then the war. How do you plan to stay prepared for such waves of changes, some of which we can predict, and some completely unpredictable?

Christian Traumann: It was by luck that we joined forces in late 2019. Because we have our daughter companies all over the world, FRITSCH teams didn’t need to travel as even remote places were accessible. This is how we could

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even grow during the pandemic, FRITSCH and MULTIVAC alike. We all learned how to utilize digital tools, from remote learning to video conferences. We also showcased our products in full detail, using video recordings, which worked out great. The pandemic has been awful, with so many lives lost. But, it also gave us significant advantages as a Group.

Looking at material availability, we were lucky: we produce a lot of the materials we need ourselves. We have a factory in Bulgaria, two big factories here, in Germany, and others in Austria and Spain. FRITSCH could gain from the fact that, somewhere in the group, somebody could manufacture something that they couldn’t otherwise get from the regular supply chains at the time.

Mihu: With communication moving online, to what extent are you considering having it stay online in the future? And when will you prefer to meet in person, instead?

Christian Traumann: What we see from our customers is that they love to see us. They love to experience the machines themselves, so we will always have a certain amount of direct contact with the customers. We will also meet with our associates around the world. But, many things can be easily done online, and we have become accustomed to it now. My personal estimation is that we can save about 50% of our traveling time by holding our meetings online. The bottom line is that nothing replaces personal contact, though.

Andreas Eyd: I wholeheartedly agree, maybe half of the meetings can take place virtually. It saves us all time and it is more sustainable, which is great. But, I have been in sales for 30 years now, and I like to see people sitting at the same table and talking to them directly when we can.

Mihu: We went over the strategy at the moment of the takeover. At which stage are we now, of the plans established in 2019?

Christian Traumann: I think that we have shown that our investment and our hard work from both sides have fallen into place after two years, as we see an enormous order intake, which is growing heavily and seems to be sustainable.

Also, on the technical side, we see new developments from FRITSCH coming to the market. We see that more and more line integration takes place concerning joint control systems, for example. We also see that our organization is growing more stable as a group because we have common IT systems. I am beyond excited and I think that this is just the first step, and FRITSCH will be a major pillar of the MULTIVAC Group in the future and will represent an important part of our revenue and our income.

Mihu: The first goal has been reached; what are the next two or three steps?

Christian Traumann: Internally, I always say that I expect FRITSCH to be our biggest business unit! At the moment, our biggest business unit has EUR 350 m turnover, and FRITSCH is at EUR 70-80 m at the moment. They do have a

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way to go, but I see no reason not to. There is nothing that can stop us, because we have the best people, the best product, and we operate in a great market.

Andreas Eyd: I am in close contact with most of the subsidiaries. I can see the enthusiasm everybody has when it comes to our products: they all love the bakery world, they love the machines and the dough. I also know the power of this organization, having worked for MULTIVAC for some years now. FRITSCH is gaining traction more and more, I can see a bright future here.

EUR 70-80 M FRITSCH’S CURRENT TURNOVER ESTIMATE Mihu: The pandemic did not hinder the growth at FRITSCH or MULTIVAC; on the contrary. What do you anticipate for the current year and the next?

Christian Traumann: We are not negative, let’s put it that way, under the current circumstances. There have always been issues that could negatively impact the business.

Unfortunately, war is the worst thing that could happen to humanity. We have a solid organization that can tackle such issues and we are positive about the years 2022 and 2023. We are anticipating a roughly 10% growth this year, and hopefully a little more than that for the next year.

Mihu: What is your combined vision for the future-ready bakery, from manufacturing to packaging?

Andreas Eyd: We are looking at high volumes but still flexible lines; digital solutions are going to a new level, including artificial Intelligence. Sustainability is another big focus, and MULTIVAC is spending a lot of resources in this direction. Automation will be a big topic in the future; several cross-company automation solutions are under development.

Mihu: What would be an example of such cooperation between the teams at FRITSCH and MULTIVAC? Andreas Eyd: We have a large team that is exclusively dealing with automation, a EUR 100 m revenue team. It doesn’t place a special focus on bakery, but now, with FRITSCH, we have a completely new entry into this world.

We also closely cooperate with MULTIVAC regarding digital solutions, as we both have digital service teams developing new features. We are sharing our progress regularly. We are also working on having a new generation of hygienic designs for our lines, an area in which MULTIVAC has extensive expertise. You can already see it in the new PROGRESSA bread line.

Mihu: Thank you for an enlightening conversation!

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MANUFACTURING & SERVICE LOCATIONS: ROMANIA | SPAIN | SWEDEN | UK

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The sky is the limit Unique eating experiences are a defining characteristic of snacking; they are especially expected when the choices are cakes and pastries. Corresponding production lines are designed to follow suit. AMF Bakery Systems customizes its equipment to match the need for product diversity, in any market segment, from fresh, to frozen or bake-off, to cover all (present and future) bases. Process efficiency is at the core.

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For the production of cakes and pies, AMF Bakery Systems provides a modular system developed by AMF Tromp, which includes an AMF Den Boer tunnel oven. In this structure, automated lines can be customized for various needs and capacities, having in mind current and future throughput needs. A variety of products in these categories can be manufactured with dedicated lines developed by companies within the AMF Bakery Systems family, from fruit cakes to muffins and meat pies – to name a few widely different flavors and textures.

Automation features enable control of every step of the baking process, including depositing, air circulation and – essential for decision-making first impressions – decorating. With a variety of mixing, baking, cooling solutions and special units that can be combined with process optimization in mind, the cake line is very flexible, and can be designed according to precise production requirements. “Complete system

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solutions include everything from mixing to depositing and baking, to cooling and conveying. The decorating system itself can be customized for various methods such as topping, glazing, strewing, or injecting, to create any number of on-trend products: single-

cream and topped off with sprinkles or nuts. Topping and decorating equipment can be used flexibly for smaller or longer runs; multiple decorating stations can be placed along the line for a streamlined process, or with changeovers on smaller lines.

“The decorating system itself can be customized for various methods such as topping, glazing, strewing, or injecting, to create any number of on-trend products.”

Hans Besems, product manager at AMF Tromp

packed cakes, cupcakes, muffins and more,” Hans Besems, product manager at AMF Tromp, details. Both pastries and cakes greatly benefit from personalization with unique, creative shapes and finishing touches. For decorations, any or all of these methods with their corresponding equipment can be used to apply several kinds of materials.

For instance, three decorations can be added onto (and into) the same product: a muffin or a donut cake can be injected, covered with (whipped)

The modular setup makes AMF cake and pastry lines flexible and allows them to support a wide range of products and sizes. The standard laminating and depositing sections can divert as needed to product-specific solutions that are flexible to change. The final layout of an AMF cake line will be determined by the specific production requests and the desired volumes, resulting in different lines of the same name. Some are mono-lines, dedicated to one product, while, in other projects,

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AMF engineers build the line for a variation of dozens of products per day. Production capacities can also be adjusted significantly: “Any volumes can be produced, starting from the capacity of one line, which can be multiplied by mirroring lines and using multiple lines with big tunnel ovens,” explains Besems.

rolls, palmiers, or vol-au-vents benefit more from the extrusion technique, which helps create more layers that are stable throughout handling. “Our Tromp technology offers gentle, lowstress dough handling and fewer falling heights, to retain product quality consistently over time,” says Besems.

Cake lines can be equipped with a Tromp piston injector, which works with various types of fillings. “We offer double jacket hoppers to heat fillings or cool them for optimal processing.

Chocolate paste, for instance, needs to be warm to flow better in the injecting process.” Dosing speeds can be flexibly adjusted to different requirements, and different injecting solutions can be used. The injector’s head is interchangeable, meaning it can be replaced with a new, clean one and be ready to run again in a matter of seconds, he explains.

AMF systems closely monitor production for steps where efficiency can be increased. Recipe following systems are integrated into all AMF complete lines, cake lines included, to save a very important resource: time. They determine when, and then automatically start a new production run at the start of the line as soon as it is possible, while the previous run is still in the oven.

With products in various production stages on the line at the same time, the system will adjust part by part to synchronize multi-tasking and save time.

Lamination is another process that can be flexibly handled. The Tromp laminating and sheeting line is at the core of AMF’s pastry lines, producing stress-free laminated dough or using extrusion for high-speed lamination.

The end product dictates all process requirements, including the choice of laminating technology and method.

For Danish pastries and croissants, the low-stress laminating technology is the preferred option, for example, because it gives the products a more open, aerated texture and preserves the dough characteristics intact. Puff pastries such as sausage rolls, cheese

Complete process control

The company developed new tools to further optimize production by closely monitoring oven activity: “To keep efficiency and productivity up, short change-over times are required, and ovens need to be loaded and filled to capacity where possible. This is why we have introduced the new Sustainable Oven Service,” he explains. It uses oven data in real-time to provide the bakery team with recommendations on how to improve oven management.

It helps increase production volumes and process efficiency, while the energy use (gas consumption) needed is lowered by up to 20%, the specialist says.

Proprietary software designed by bakers is integrated to complete the management of the lines. In addition to the Sustainable Oven Service, AMFConnect also helps to manage information and coordinate operations, by connecting different types of equipment, systems and the processes associated with each. With smart machines, supported by (remote) data analysis and customer support, AMF lines can operate 24/7 if needed, without issues that would cause disruptions, the specialist emphasizes.

Profitable and mindful production For all supported product categories, the design of the cake line takes into consideration sustainability, digitalization, minimizing waste and increasing automation with smart machines, the specialist lists.

“Ingredient use and savings are key topics in our sustainable design of future machines and lines,” he says.

For example, replacing the waterfall method with targeted topping makes strewing accurate and can bring significant ingredient savings. However, waterfall topping is still the best solution for high production speeds; this is where recycling systems help to eliminate wasting valuable ingredients. Digital imaging and quality control systems also help to minimize waste and optimize

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quality output. Consequently, the OEE goes up and only products precisely matching the presets come out of the line. “Our smart applicator is the perfect solution here, as it takes images of each product on the line, and the machine (the topping applicator) learns and adjusts its working algorithm; it is mainly data-driven, which results in better output and quality,” illustrates Besems.

Savings can also be made in the energy required by the line. The AMF equipment is designed to use less energy and to require less air circulation. As it is equipped with servo-driven motors, this translates into lower energy consumption over time. Its hygienic design also helps save water for cleaning, a step forward towards sustainability.

Automation, as requested The cake depositing process is fully automated, and so are baking and cooling. The line’s level of automation will be tailored to the bakery’s size and the desired production volumes.

A semi-automatic line is also very common in many countries, where manual labor still is an important part of the process, AMF observes. A number of processes can be performed manually – and can be gradually automated later – including pan handling, decorating and packaging. Overall, automation is a growing request.

Conversely, AMF also delivers highcapacity cake lines that deposit, bake, cool, and decorate 100,000 cupcakes

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or muffins per hour, and which can then flow-pack them individually.

Looking ahead Looking at the bigger (production) picture is a way of reaching the full potential of this line. Its custom design should consider space and time: “Always preserve space for future capacities, be it new products, new plans, or any number of additional projects,” Besems recommends. In this way, the capacity of such cake and pastry lines can be extended at a later time: “If our vision at the beginning of the project was right, we will have calculated for growth and expansion, and our make-up lines or proofers and ovens have room to grow. That is the big benefit of the modular design philosophy; doubling a certain part of the process is easy to accomplish,” he adds.

Equipment changeovers also take time from production. To minimize downtimes, cake and pastry lines are designed with easy access to crucial

components, so that they can be changed fast, without tooling. “Units fit in specific positions, but are also flexible, such as C-frames, for example, to run exactly as designed by our engineering teams and product managers,” AMF Tromp’s product manager elaborates.

A line can also be revised and updated in time, at a significantly lower cost than the investment in a new line: existing hardware can be altered with new, modern components that bring the factory up to date, the oven capacity can be increased, and software updates will also radically improve older lines. “We are receiving considerable requests for such revisions that modernize the factory floor and machine park,” he shares. AMF’s Customer Care provides lifetime support for its machines – Den Boer systems and service are behind keeping a tunnel oven operational for over 50 years, for example.

Among trends, the company also observes increasing efforts to avoid waste and food spillage in retail and supermarkets. Correctly anticipating consumption and producing only what is ordered is key, in addition to singleserving portions, in this regard. Moreover, as the frozen food segment continues to rise, so does the range and volume of frozen bakery goods for bake-off. Besems concludes: “The sky is the limit for the product variety supported by these lines.” +++

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A strong Synapse to AI baking Innovation in Artificial Intelligence algorithms can be applied to baking processes for improved results. AI’s ability to learn and auto-learn makes it particularly resourceful to increase process efficiency and seamlessly handle a great variety of products by identifying the sets of features to be controlled.

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Quality control is one of the areas in which Artificial Intelligence can make a difference in bakeries. It can contribute to greatly improving product quality and productivity: such smart vision inspection systems are flexible enough to be able to adapt to changes that occur during production. Moreover, the algorithm ensures that every single product is inspected, with no exceptions. It has the ability to do this for production speeds of up to 12,000 products per minute, then generate data and reports. To achieve this, multiple measurements are made simultaneously, while the line is operating at full speed. Non-compliant products are at the same time removed.

“We have developed more than 50 quality control features for shape, size, color, surface patterns and other parameters – and we can always develop new ones if needed. ” Daniele Vaglietti, Sales and Marketing, SENSURE

SENSURE designs AI-powered vision systems for industrial quality control, particularly focusing on bakery products – to identify and remove non-compliant products and to manage their flow as they exit the oven and reach the packaging machinery. Its SENSURE Synapse Bakery Solution does just that.

Synapse with AI AI makes up the core of the system, for the Synapse Bakery and all other SENSURE solutions, and enables it to perform various functions such as the automatic selection of the characteristics to be controlled in the products, and the

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optimization of the tolerances of the controlled measurements.

AI also automatically creates simple pre-configurations of the system, which is “a very useful and effective starting point,” Daniele Vaglietti, Sales and Marketing at SENSURE tells us. “Thanks to these innovative AI algorithms, it is the system itself that identifies the characteristics to be controlled, by automatically adapting to different types of production and its intrinsic variability,” he explains.

Synapse Bakery can be used to continuously improve production. It provides the tools to understand where and when production is stable, according to specifications, and it can also tell what/when a problem occurs. It can also be integrated with third-party systems such as ovens, packaging machines, metal detectors, checkweighers, moisture analyzers, and other types of equipment, resulting in fully integrated production lines. It can exchange input/output data with many communication systems, management solutions, company networks and line PLCs. “This feature makes the system perfect for accepting configurations and settings from the line, generating data for feedback systems and for constantly monitoring what is happening in production.

For these reasons, Synapse Bakery is a perfect match for the requirements of Industry 4.0.,” he highlights.

Having a continuous stream of accurate data about the product readily available is useful for process improvement efforts related to the productivity of the line as well as its efficiency. Vaglietti illustrates: “The system collects and stores the data of the entire production in a SQL database, from the reject features of a single defect to all the characteristics of the good products.”

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The system is designed to manage different types of rejection methods, single or multiple, with various technologies (e.g., air nozzles, traps, retractable conveyors, robots, etc.), through connections with PLCs and ROBOTs of different brands.

Several aspects determine the correct choice, such as the products, the type of line, or the processing speed.

SENSURE developed an intuitive, dedicated graphic interface between the artificial system and the operator, to streamline operations. This solution also provides a complete defect analysis; all defect data and images are stored in a dedicated folder and the system is also able to provide an analysis of the defects, explaining the logic behind the rejection process. Using this graphic interface, the software performs the adequate quality control operations for different product types by integrating 2D and 3D vision technologies: “This is a big advantage because operators find the same concepts and operating methods of different applications in one common graphic interface,” Vaglietti explains. Hardwarewise, SENSURE systems use high-end industrial components from vision, electronic and automation industries, he points out.

Never stop learning The ‘Learn’ function is key for the SENSURE system: without indicating which products are good and which ones are defective, and just by pressing a single button during production, the Synapse Bakery system can automatically learn the relevant features of the production. It does so without the need for training time, exhaustive or partial labeling of the samples, or AI experts. “Just a simple button in our interface (‘Learn’) and our AI algorithms can recalibrate the system to the current production needs,

drastically reducing the time requested for start-up and all following modifications,” Vaglietti highlights.

The ‘Learn’ function also supports production during issues that typically occur on the line, such as oscillations in oven parameters (while still in the correct quality range), or product variations due to differences in raw materials, for example. The ‘Learn’ feature also provides support when a new recipe is created by an operator without a background in vision systems. Among its unique functions that help optimize production is its ability to ‘re-center’ the quality criteria during a momentary critical production phase, to minimize waste and better manage production needs, in another example.

The system, thanks to the ‘Learn’ feature, proposes a quality recipe and tolerance thresholds, allowing the operators to make subsequent modifications. “Our engineers (also with remote connection) can offer support during tuning activities or adding custom features when needed,” SENSURE’s representative says. To work with this function, operators can choose the time when the system has to adapt to certain product specifications. They can also control how many products will be used during the learning phase. Usually, it takes less than a minute of production to get the system up and running. This operation can be done at any moment of the production. Recipes can be loaded from the system’s storage.

There is ‘Learn’, and then there is ‘Auto-learn’. The ‘Autolearn’ function is an option that allows the system to learn continuously. By doing so, the system ensures that no drift

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can occur: “It's the system itself that chooses the best time to adapt to production changes. ‘Learn’ and ‘Auto-learn’ are innovative functions that allow the system to remain very aligned and adherent to production changes, reducing waste over time,” the specialist explains.

Flexibility is a feature The Synapse Bakery is designed around product variability – a regular occurrence in production. The system identifies variations, drifts and quality problems normally present in a production environment. It then performs all related actions automatically. The Synapse system is already incorporated into and working on diverse bakery lines. It oversees the production of a comprehensive range of bakery goods, such as biscuits, rusks, snacks, crackers, cakes, breads, pizza, donuts and more. It also handles decorations with different shapes, colors, and pattern details. “We have developed more than 50 quality control features for shape, size, color, surface patterns and other parameters – and we can always develop new ones if needed. The SENSURE Synapse can make reliable, repeatable, and accurate measurements that are impossible for the human eye,” Vaglietti says. The engineers at SENSURE are working to add new functions, sensors, features, and reports. Input coming from customers is also taken into consideration in this process.

Variability is also considered for different types of bakeware the products might require; the system can work with products placed in various trays or tins, and will similarly follow the product once it has been removed from its support and placed on conveyor belts or other types of transportation means. “The system has very flexible configurable software that allows it to work with products on trays with single or multiple items on them,” he explains. In addition, the Synapse system can be placed before and after the oven, to control the complete production cycle.

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Bringing the AI home Installing a Synapse Bakery system that only takes images and measurements from above, either 2D or 3D is fairly simple: “The system is typically mounted on a framework transversal to the line, and it is controlled by an electrical cabinet that can be located up to 100 meters away from the line. Complete solutions for quality control can inspect the product’s top and bottom sides, in 2D and/or 3D. Once up and running, the maintenance the system requires is minimal; it all amounts to cleaning lights and camera protections when needed.” The system has no consumable parts.

Italian bakery “Il Vecchio Forno” recently installed a vision system for pick-and-place operations and for the quality control of its rusks. The company produces rusks and naturally leavened baked desserts such as panettoni, pandoro and colombe. The SENSURE Synapse vision system was installed on the bakery’s new production line for rusks to control the entire manufacturing process.

It automatically identifies and rejects non-compliant products and optimizes the flow of products at the entrance to the packaging machines. Four vision systems (each one with seven high-resolution cameras) were installed on this line to identify defects in the shape, color and size of all rusks as they come out of the oven.

There are 40 ABB FlexPickers that receive the coordinates of the compliant products from the Synapse software and deposit them on belts feeding eight packaging machines. The non-compliant products arrive at a final conveyor belt to be rejected.

The SENSURE SYNAPSE software provides real-time visualization and dedicated reporting, which can be used for process optimization, production control and predictive maintenance. +++

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Making the cut A bread’s crust is its first impression and illustrates the baker’s signature skill. Automated scoring systems can dependably reproduce the craftsmanship of a cut made by an experienced hand. Vision systems and robotics are its eyes and steady hands behind any desired patterns carved into the dough.

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Automated scoring systems consistently execute cuts, using conventional cutting, ultrasonic cutting, or waterjet technology. Conventional blades are a simple and cost-effective scoring tool; they follow the shape of a product to score it with cuts made at a consistent depth. Robots can even use multiple blades of this type, as they are lightweight, which will increase production capacity – although with some loss in quality. They may tear the dough, instead of cutting it, making rough edges that, after baking, can tear the packaging. These blades need to be replaced quite often, and the disassembly and cleaning process is complex. The angle of the blade and the single cutting edge limits the possible scoring patterns. Ultrasonic blades use high-frequency vibrations to slice the dough. Dough tearing is limited with this technology, which also prevents the dough from sticking to the blade. With some limitations, the ultrasonic drag blade offers the most versatility in the range of motion, making it suitable for a large variety of products. With waterjet cutting performed by robots, the most

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complex shapes and designs can be made on doughs of any density, texture and size. This scoring technology excels in efficiency, hygiene and speed.

Each blade has advantages and disadvantages and, depending on the bakeries’ needs, one may be more suitable than another. The Katana robotic scoring system developed by ABI LTD incorporates a variety of interchangeable technologies for specific process requirements: conventional blades, ultrasonic drag blades, ultrasonic plunge blades, custom blades and waterjet. The different types of blades can be stored within the scoring cell for automatic tool changeover.

Specialists from ABI LTD highlight the applications in which each technology excels: + Conventional blades are ideal when a rippled finish is desired, or for higher production rates with the multi-blade configuration. They are the ideal scoring technology for some artisan breads, rolls and buns. + Ultrasonic drag blades are the most flexible in terms of customizing the

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cut properties and can execute intricate scoring patterns. This makes them the choice for artisan breads, rolls, buns, and baguettes.

Ultrasonic plunge blades are the solution for faster scoring: the blade has one cutting edge with a fixed length and moves in a simple, vertical motion that can be repeated quickly. They work well with certain types of buns, breadsticks, and rolls.

Custom blades are an option that offers more efficient scoring, as they are developed according to specific cutting needs. ABI manufactures blades according to the requirements of the bakery and their products.

Waterjet scoring uses highly pressurized water as the most hygienic option for scoring. The stream of water splits the dough surface. This type of scoring offers the flexibility to accommodate a variety of scoring patterns.

The concept behind the automatic cuts There are three important components in the Katana robotic scoring system: its vision system, the Katana platform

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ABI’s vision system continuously scans products as they enter the system, ensuring that every product is accounted for. “Using our custom-designed software, the scans are stitched together to create a comprehensive image of each product, without duplication,” ABI explains. In this way, the robot only scores each product once. When a system uses multiple robots, the Katana platform dynamically divides the workload between the robots, to balance the tasks each performs. “This capability is especially beneficial when reacting to changing conditions, such as product positioning variability. We designed a system to intelligently manage workloads and maintain their performance,” ABI’s specialists point out.

ABI developed the Katana system as custom software to support the ability to program the robots and optimize

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(proprietary software), and the robotic hardware. To develop the Katana platform, ABI’s engineers combined proprietary software with a conventional programming language: “We developed our custom software to better fit the needs of industrial bakeries since solutions on the market did not exist at the time.”

interface, the operator simply selects the appropriate recipe (scoring pattern) in the Katana system. If the new recipe requires a different type of blade, the robot uses the automatic tool changer to switch the blade.

Now the system is ready to receive the incoming product.

As the Katana platform analyzes data from the vision system, it can also perform quality control as it detects flaws, inconsistencies, or substandard qualities, such as over-proofed dough.

Through the user interface, operators are then alerted, so they can adjust the relevant upstream or downstream processes. ABI is in the process of

“Our vision platform uses machine learning algorithms and multiple vision sensors to image, process, and analyze a variety of products.”

ABI LTD engineers

data transfer from the Katana platform.

To improve efficiency and increase production speed, ABI engineers configured the scoring system to distribute the cutting workload and also streamlined data transfer from the vision system to the robot.

Automation is built into its design: automated tool changeovers eliminate safety risks (inherent with manual handling) and execute the desired swap between various end-of-arm tools in a matter of seconds. On the user

development the feature to automate adjustments to relevant operations.

“As a future development, the Katana platform will have the capability of communicating with the relevant upstream system to correct or adjust relevant settings or with the downstream systems to address substandard products, in real-time.”

The vision The Katana platform uses visual data to determine how to execute cuts properly. That information is communicated

to the robotic arm(s), which then performs the cut as determined by Katana.

Katana’s vision system uses 3D scanning to determine the topography of each product and if any products are touching or overlapping. Laser technology is used for 3D scanning to create a ‘point cloud’, a set of 3D data points, for each product (a similar process is used for satellite earth mapping). “With each data point, the Katana platform can accurately determine the shape and features of the product’s surface. This data lets us execute the scoring pattern very precisely each time,” ABI details.

In addition to 3D scanning, ABI’s vision system has many capabilities that are utilized in other processes of industrial baking, such as inspection or pick and place. This robust system has the ability to generate a complete view – outside and inside – of scanned products, which is essential to effective processing and automating robotic product handling. The vision platform is built to observe, analyze, and react to real-world conditions. Real-time data analysis prompts actions automatically. “Our vision platform uses machine learning algorithms and multiple vision sensors to image, process, and analyze a variety of products,” they explain. Product recognition algorithms were developed for bakery products, including bagels, baguettes, boules, buns, and pastries. The vision platform can identify product types with a 98%

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“Since it is also a flexible system, it can accommodate future product needs too,” the specialists note. Aside from the scoring blades, the robotic arm is compatible with other end-of-arm tools (EOATs), such as soft grippers and vacuum grippers which can extend its functions into pick-and-place operations as well (e.g., product reorientation, or board loading/unloading).

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success rate, even when products are touching or overlapping.

ABI’s vision system combines images from multiple sources to provide a comprehensive picture of a product’s state. “It accurately identifies surface features and product characteristics and can capture thermal or x-ray imaging,” ABI elaborates. Custom software was developed to synchronize 2D and 3D cameras, by taking pictures simultaneously at the required rate. An algorithm was developed to identify features from each image source. “Our engineers superimposed 2D onto 3D captures to create a defined image of product characteristics and facilitate comprehensive product analysis,” we learn. This capability was not available on the market at the time, ABI points out. This is how touching products are detected and product shapes are identified, to guide the robot’s movements.

Perfecting the cut To add scoring patterns to the Katana platform, bakers will enter and save the product dimensions and the properties of the desired cut. Unlimited scoring patterns can be saved. The recipe matching the running product is loaded, to begin scoring. No prior training is required to operate the system, ABI explains: “We designed Katana so bakeries can easily and quickly adapt robotic technology in their production.”

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The Katana platform automatically adjusts the scoring pattern to accommodate product variability. It will ensure precise cuts, consistently, its developers explain. The platform optimizes the robot’s scoring path to maximize the ratio of cutting movements over positioning movements. Taking into consideration product positioning (arranged or randomized), the scoring pattern, the complete travel path, the Katana platform determines the optimal way to execute the cuts to increase efficiency, while minimizing the wear and tear of the machines.

In addition, dip tank cleaning can be scheduled at regular intervals, to maintain hygiene. Katana also has the capacity to communicate with upstream systems regarding upcoming workloads, to schedule cleaning cycles automatically. Bakeries can determine a dip tank cleaning routine that best supports their production schedule.

“We can also program specific positions for the robot to streamline any maintenance or cleaning tasks,” ABI mentions.

The Katana system can operate as a stand-alone machine for lower production volumes (products need to be manually fed into/removed from the machine). ABI recommends incorporating the system, customized as needed, into a turnkey line to realize its full potential.

To design custom setups, ABI engineers analyze a bakery’s production process.

Here are some examples of what can be customized: + The conveyor can be built with widths up to four meters to facilitate its placement on production lines. A four-meter wide conveyor is ideal for loading scored products directly into the oven. + The mounting angle of a tool (how slanted the blade is when inserted into the product) is adjustable. When combined with the range of movements of the robot’s wrist, it expands both the product range and pattern diversity. + The UI can be personalized by adding buttons to quickly access specific views or data sets.

Several scoring characteristics can be controlled by the Katana platform, including the compound angle, the plough angle (the blade angle as it executes a cut), the depth, the length of a cut, the spacing between cuts and the amplitude of the high-frequency vibrations, for ultrasonic cutting.

Consistency is ensured by the product-specific information retrieved by the vision system. “The Katana robotic scoring system uses visual data to map the scoring pattern and makes adjustments to accommodate any variations. It then communicates to the robot how to exactly execute the cut.” +++

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S U STA I N A B I L I T Y

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Oven alternatives As energy is an increasingly more valuable resource, thermal oil oven specialist HEUFT offers short- and mid-term solutions for bakeries, based on its innovative technology. The trend is clear: the path leads away from fossil fuels and towards regenerative resources such as hydrogen, biogas, or bioelectricity, and includes wind and solar power for their potential.

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The security of the fossil fuel supply is acutely volatile at present. Uncertainty feeds huge spikes in energy prices, making energy management the hot topic at the moment. The disruption calls for immediate reaction to mitigate its consequences. Bakeries have alternatives to take immediate measures that reposition their production fast, to be able to continue production without interruptions.

Immediate scenario: the gas valve closes HEUFT relies entirely on thermal oil as the heat transfer medium. Thermal oil creates maximum flexibility when selecting the energy source, as well as when changing to a different option later on. This makes thermal oil the most economical heating system on the market, while providing consistent baking parameters, explains managing director Thomas Heuft.

All bakeries that are already working with a gas-heated HEUFT heat exchanger have the option of replacing the gas with liquid gas or heating oil ad hoc. The changeover can be made quickly, without the need for a new heat exchanger. When changing from gas to heating oil, only the burner needs to be replaced.

Medium-term measure: securing production flow with a hybrid thermal oil heater A patent-pending innovation from HEUFT is the hybrid thermal oil heater, which heats thermal oil sustainably and can help earn independence in energy management. It combines two technologies: an electric and a fired heater. Moreover, the electric heater can use electricity from regenerative

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sources, to operate sustainably. The fired heater, in turn, can use either natural gas or heating oil as an energy source. In this case, possible alternatives include burning liquid gas, biogas, wood pellets, or hydrogen. In any case, it is able to supply the entire heating output required on its own.

It is then up to the bakeries to choose which type and how much renewable energy they want to use, depending on its availability. The aim is to use all sustainable energy sources that are readily available, so that nothing has to be fed back into the grid. Optionally, a buffer tank can be added to help with this, as it can increase energy efficiency with an extra step.

“The image of bakeries is increasingly measured by their commitment to climate and environmental protection. With our new hybrid thermal oil heater, it is possible to bake sustainably, with full flexibility and a 100% performance guarantee. Renewable energy sources can be optimally utilized, which lowers costs, decreases the dependency on market price developments for fossil fuels and helps to reduce the emission of climate-damaging CO 2,” says Christoph Fülbier, a developer of hybrid thermal oil heaters.

Hybrid thermal oil heaters can be used in small as well as larger artisanal and industrial bakeries +++

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PRODUCTION

Practical patisserie With over 8,000 new patisserie product launches every year1, the challenge for industrial bakers is to diversify their offers by developing innovative creations that also pass nutritional checkpoints and provide an exciting eating experience, through an efficient manufacturing process.

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Patisserie products may represent only 6% of the bakery market in volume 2 but they represent 22% in value. Equipment is essential in supporting efficient production and high product quality over a diverse range of specialties. Flexible lines can accommodate a generous product variety, with a wide range of customization options to choose from for various steps (e.g., filling, cutting, or decorating). Patisserie lines can be flexible at every step of the process, considering that the recipe has its own requirements.

For example, various mixing techniques are needed to obtain doughs and batters with different characteristics, to ensure ingredients are hydrated or dissolved, evenly distributed, or aerated – requiring different tools and mixing settings.

The same goes for batter dosing or dough depositing on the trays and for the key step to perfecting the product, baking. Each step contributes to the quality of these delicate products. In addition, efficiency is a requirement along the line, to optimize industrial performance.

In a recently published white paper on industrial patisserie, MECATHERM outlined ‘The three commandments of baking industrial patisserie products’: 1. ‘Produce your perfect patisserie product’ – All variables pertaining to the baking process need to be controlled and synchronized to support the simultaneous development of complex physical, chemical and biochemical transformations. Baking tools able to ensure accuracy are required. Some products are particularly challenging and are unforgiving to deviation from precise parameters; lava cakes are such an example of a complex product, firm on the outside, with a creamy heart.

2. ‘Be more flexible’ – Modular ovens, with independently configurable baking zones, can flexibly manage different baking curves across a wide range of patisserie product.

3. ‘Control your consistency’ – Automation can help optimize consistency in production. The benefit of having industrial ovens with a huge baking surface brings its own challenges, too: controlling the airflow is key to obtaining uniform products, regardless of where they are placed inside the oven. To achieve this, homogenous hot air circulation within the oven’s zones must be ensured.

©Puratos

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At the heart of this system is the M-TA oven, MECATHERM’s latest, award-winning oven technology, in itself a flexible machine, equipped with compact, independent heating modules reaching up to 25 sqm. Each zone features six different baking modes. Moreover, its patented mobile system can double the energy transfer modes available on the top and on the bottom of the baking chamber, with convection technology (air streams) and/or radiation. Each baking zone has a dedicated steam injection system. These heat transfer modes allow bakers to establish tailor-made baking curves.

All in one: the MECAPATISSERIE line

Marie Laisne, Product Marketing Manager for Ovens, explains: “The R&D teams have worked on the oven’s reactivity for its temperature to adapt very rapidly and precisely when changeovers happen. The use of a specially created highly modulating burner, as well as the rate of air renewal being extremely high, allow rapid raises and drops in temperature.”

Computerassisted flow simulations contributed to the oven’s precision over flexible baking settings, as they helped to define and redimension the airflow circuits, to obtain a homogenous flow throughout the width of the oven. In addition, especially noteworthy in current circumstances, the M-TA is an energy-efficient oven: its entry and exit zones are completely integrated to reduce heat loss, and the process accuracy and fast changeovers contribute to reducing energy consumption.

The French company’s answer to all these production challenges is the MECAPATISSERIE line, designed to produce a wide range of patisserie products, simple or complex, fresh or frozen, in multiple configurations.

The MECAPATISSERIE line also incorporates an MVD cooler, including a buffer system, and an MVS freezer with dual infeed, to be able to receive products coming from the line

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PRODUCTION

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while still available as standalone equipment. Depanning solutions can work with several types of tools, such as needles, vacuum, or fingers. Additional equipment can be integrated upstream, for mixing and dosing, downstream for packaging, or for personalization at any stage of the process. Production management tools are also incorporated: the M-Plan simulates and optimizes production scenarios to obtain the best line availability rate and the shortest changeover times, with the M-Pilot interface facilitating operation, production monitoring and traceability on the line.

© Mecatherm

Experts at Puratos and MECATHERM worked together on perfecting cake texture, step by step. In a live stream event, they focused on working with two of the eight textures developed by Puratos: cream textures (‘Panda’ cake) and castella textures ( ‘Passion goes nuts’ castella cake). Participants received samples of each, to experience a tasting session with the experts. During each stage of the baking process (expansion, stabilization and coloring), the heat transfer method also influences the product’s characteristics, MECATHERM specialists explained. The Panda cake is round, with a hole on the top meant to be filled, and a flat bottom to contain the filling, with a golden-brown external coloration and homogeneous texture with no crust. The impact of different heat transfer modes was analyzed: with 100% radiant heat, the baking time needed to be increased, as there was not enough energy for the product; with 100% convection, there was too much energy, which impacted the cake’s shape. To obtain the desired result, “We mixed convection and radiant heat with adjusted intensities inside each of the zones of the MECATHERM M-TA oven.

The precise baking parameters of this oven allowed the texture, shape and coloration of the product to be controlled,” explained Marie Laisne.

© Mecatherm

How to innovate: cake texture

Starting from each texture, they demonstrated how bakers can expand and develop new creations; setting the different baking profiles available on MECATHERM’s ovens helps support the process. Further customization with fillings or toppings provides even more unique selling points for patisserie products. +++ 1

Mintel, 2015-2019, 2 Mintel 2018

© Mec

a th e rm

SCIENCE

Next-generation bread quality assessment Assessment of quality is an essential part of the food manufacturing process. Whether part of a Quality Assurance (QA) system, where checks are made throughout the manufacturing process, or a Quality Control (QC) system system where checks are made on the finished product before it leaves the factory. The assessment of quality in regard to bread is a complex area, given the complex nature of bread!

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By: Michael Adams, Product Innovation Lead, Campden BRI

The quality of bread can be examined in a number of ways. Different bread types will have different characteristics to consider, as well as vastly different parameters within these characteristics. For example, an open structure bread, such as ciabatta, will require different quality parameters compared with a closed structure bread like a sandwich loaf.

process. An effective QA system means that the probability of a good quality finished product emerging from the manufacturing process is high. It also means that out-ofspecification products can be identified earlier in the manufacturing process, allowing corrections to be made and waste to be reduced.

Some parameters, such as crust appearance, aroma and flavor, are relatively easy to test using our senses. Trained staff can check these fall within expected parameters with little requirement for apparatus. Crumb color and structure, volume and texture, require either an experienced baker, or a relatively sophisticated apparatus, to identify what can be subtle differences or divergences from a specification.

Even harder to discover are intermittent quality issues, such as holes and other internal faults, that can occur within breads with no externally visible quality changes at all.

The dominance of large industrial bakeries means these faults can easily transform from intermittent to common, if equipment set up or ingredient quality are not within specification. This could result in hundreds or thousands of loaves with significant defects being sent to customers.

Another aspect of quality that will be discussed in this article, is the detection of foreign objects within a loaf of bread.

Foreign object complaints remain one of the largest sources of consumer dissatisfaction with food products. Metal complaints are rare, due to the widespread adoption of metal detectors within the industry, but there are a number of other sources of contamination that are non-metallic and therefore not detectable using these methods: stones, wood, plastic and glass.

This article discusses a range of methods for assessing the quality of bread focusing primarily on online methods.

Online quality detection during processing Pre-baking As mentioned previously, the principle of QA is to analyze the product and production unit activities to ensure that Work In Progress (WIP), or par-made products are, and remain, within specification throughout the manufacturing

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Figures 1 to 3

© Campden BRI

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SCIENCE

Within the baking process, there are a number of quality checks, such as dough consistency, dough temperature, proof height, crust color and bread core temperature.

One area in which new technologies are being applied is the quality of the dough after mixing. Bread mixing is complex and judging when bread has been mixed to the correct level requires significant experience and technical understanding.

Most industrial bakeries utilize a system that mixes dough to a pre-set energy, or work input, measured in kWh. This relies on figures generated from lab-based quality checks on the flour. Work on using new sensing technologies to maximize the quality of the mixing process concentrates on two areas: + Utilizing additional data streams and artificial intelligence algorithms to modify mixing parameters + Additional sensors to analyze dough quality and ensure mixing is performed to maximum quality Campden BRI undertook a short proof of concept project funded by Innovate UK and collaborating with RedBlack Software, to understand the potential of utilising a wide number of inputs into an algorithm. The hypothesis being that dough mixing could be altered, and dough quality improved, by understanding the optimal mixing based on multiple inputs. This trial was successful in proving that

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bread quality could be predicted to a reasonably accurate degree, based on observed inputs. Campden BRI are investigating the potential for a follow on project, where the system is integrated into a production scale mixer, enabling more representative factory data to be collected. This would improve the fidelity of the algorithm and generate sufficient data so that proactive improvements in mixing could be implemented in real time.

Online Infra Red (IR) and (Near Infra Red (NIR) gauges are widely used within the food industry, both on and off line.

They have a number of applications and in some processes are part of feedback loops used to control processes. Work conducted at a lab and pilot scale, has shown that a portion of the NIR spectrum changes as bread dough is developed during mixing. It is hypothesised that a gauge, or sensor, could control mixing based on the changes in spectra and allow much greater control of dough quality. Again, Campden BRI is investigating the potential for research in this area and is actively looking for industrial partners.

Other areas in which new technology can help assess bread during processing include: + Proof height using lasers + Dough temperature using IR

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SCIENCE

Post Baking As stated earlier, assessment of quality is best performed throughout the manufacturing process, so that any problems can be rectified prior to wasting time and energy manufacturing poor quality product that will be rejected at a later stage. However, given the nature of bread, some faults do not manifest themselves until after the baking process, even if they are caused by an error much earlier in the process, or a problem with raw materials.

Given that industrial bread production uses continuous provers and ovens, bread will continue to exit the oven with potentially serious faults. Emphasis should be on speed of detection so that faults can be quickly identified and immediate corrective action taken, to minimise the amount of faulty product manufactured and in the worst scenario, dispatched to customers.

The need for speed of detection means that bakeries often rely on line-side checks, performed by trained staff. The exception to this is metal detection, which occurs either immediately prior to packaging, or soon after, depending on the packaging materials used.

Faults identified post-baking can be manifest; however, bread structure is arguably the most important characteristic to check at this stage. A number of factors, from raw material quality to almost all of the processing steps, can each have an effect on bread structure. Whilst minor deviations from specifications are unlikely to drive significant consumer dissatisfaction, more serious faults such as holes are a key complaint driver from consumers. Holes in bread can be caused by a number of factors, which are beyond the scope of this article.

Checking a small proportion of the bread made can help identify if a significant problem exists. However, if a large number of loaves are affected by holes, it is likely that these will not be detected, as holes are often an intermittent fault and unlikely to be found during routine analysis. In order to assess all loaves, a non-destructive technique is required, that is capable of scanning the internal structure of bread, at a rate conducive to being installed on a full-size industrial bakery production line.

One such system is the Biometic Mito in-line computed tomography system. This system is able to generate a full 3D reconstruction of the internal characteristics of each bread sample. Examples of 2D cross sectional CT images and corresponding photographs of cut loaves (cut after the scan) can be seen in Figures 1 to 3.

Large holes are visible (black) in the CT images. The images also reveal dense regions (bright white) where the dough was rolled after proving. A 3D generated image of each of

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the loaves is shown on the right of each image. These images were generated by applying averaging to the color of the CT images to eliminate minute voids and then highlighting the larger dark voids. The large voids present in each bread sample can be seen in all three of the associated images.

This system is also able to identify foreign objects, with experimental data showing its efficacy at imaging glass and bone within products, as well as denser materials such as metal.

Other online measurement technologies, such as color and temperature, are well established and widely adopted within the food and drink industry.

Final Thoughts New technologies are emerging that will allow more data than ever to be gathered about the quality of bread throughout the manufacturing process. Adopting some of these technologies is likely to offer the significant benefit of ensuring consumers receive the highest quality product and thereby reducing dissatisfaction and complaints. +++

References New Technologies Bulletin 55, Quality and foreign body detection using In-line X-ray CT scanning, Campden BRI, 2019

About the author Mike Adams is the Product Innovation Lead within the Consulting Technology Group at Campden BRI and joined the organization in April 2016. He studied for a BSc (Hons) in Microbiology at the University of Manchester, graduating in 2005.

Since then, Adams has worked pri© Campden BRI

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marily within R&D and Technical roles for multinational FMCG organizations. Most recently, he led the

development of own-label products for a major high street health and wellness retailer, specializing in spotting new trends in functional foods, sports nutrition and free-from foods.

His areas of interest include the linking of instrumental measurements to sensory profiling, the discovery of new functional ingredients and extending the shelf life of foods.

The Product Innovation team supports a wide range of companies within the wider food and drink industry, providing innovation services, research, analysis and testing across a wide range of platforms from our state-of-the-art laboratories and pilot plant facilities.

VISIT

A quantum leap When Ebbing Bakery installed the Smartline Model I dough band line, which had just been launched into operation in 2001, it was a first in the industry. 16 years later, the company opted for the Rondo line for the second time, now in its new generation.

The pastry hall is kept at a constant temperature of 19 °C; the Smartline can be seen in the background

By Helga Baumfalk

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The new Smartline Type 10 has been in operation since 2017. “We added a new hall for the production of pastries in 2012 because we wanted to decentralize the processes in our production and set up a separate, air-conditioned room in which we could also process butter,” explains Daniel Ebbing, head of the bakery. The dimensions and design of the latest Smartline generation were taken into account following the construction of the new pastry hall, in preparation for the future. The modernization of the dough band line, which involved replacing its 2001 predecessor model, came five years after the new hall became operational. Five machine generations lie between the two versions. The new dough band line is now arranged in an L-shape, measures 10 m x 10 m in angle and feeds the downstream Polyline make-up line in a single-shift operation.

At a constant room temperature of 19°C, soft yeast doughs and laminated doughs are rolled out on the dough belt line today. A total of around 40 products run through the machine, including the spelt corner (Dinkel-Ecke), a type of bread roll, chocolate croissants (or rather chocolate rolls), sausage rolls* and seasonal products such as the stollenstrudel.

When the new investment was considered, an additional capability was important to Daniel Ebbing: “It needed to roll out the shortcrust pastry for the cakes and tarts.” The

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previous model was not capable of doing this, he says.

“Until 2017, we still fed the shortcrust doughs by hand over a sheeter. With the quantities we need, it’s clear that we’ve already made a quantum leap with the new model.” Today, the bakers reduce the shortcrust pastry dough via the Smartline to a final thickness of less than 3 mm, in two steps. Shortcrust doughs are quite demanding for a dough belt system – as they are so short, they can tear easily.

In addition to the dough belt system, the 200 sqm pastry hall also contains a 12 sqm cooling cell and a croissant system from Rondo. It was even possible to take over some tools from the old Smartline from 2001, which lowered the overall investment. “We’ve done an all-around move,” says the company boss, “and automated the dough feed at the

Products that the bakery produces on the dough band line: 1) Yeast doughs: spelt corner, stollenstrudel, poppy seed plaits, bee sting cake, sheet cake, paninos and various seasonal products.

2) Laminated doughs: chocolate croissants, sausage rolls, cheese/crispy sticks, puff pastry plaits, pudding pretzels, fruit Danish pastries and various seasonal products.

3) In addition: Gingerbread cookies, filling dots

© f2m

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VISIT

same time.” Lifting tippers now make the bakers’ work with the doughs easier.

Keeping the dough cool throughout the process The yeast doughs that Ebbing rolls out into a uniform dough band for the stollenstrudel or the spelt corner, among other things, have a dough hydration level of about 158. They tend to be soft-run doughs, which is standard nowadays.

The dough rests in the kneading kettle on its way to the dough band. Plant manager Dirk Löhrmann: “It takes 12 minutes for the dough to run through the dough band former, to become the finished product. Given the length of our line, the doughs must be cool enough. If we were to process warmer doughs, which start up quickly, the product at the beginning of production would be different to the one at the end.” This is where the air-conditioned room can also be an advantage.

“Until 2017, we still fed the shortcrust doughs by hand to a sheeter. With the quantities we need, it’s clear that we’ve already made a quantum leap with the new model.”

Daniel Ebbing, Managing Director of Ebbing Bakery

Matthias Petry, consulting and sales at Rondo, draws attention to something else: “With the new generation of machines,

there are no large drop heights that would cause the dough band to be stretched or compressed.” Slight inclinations cannot be completely prevented from a constructional point of view, but in principle, the belt remains on one level.

It’s not only the plant that has to be set up The dough belt system at Ebbing is in operation five days a week, eight hours a day. The bakery found the balance in working with time-consuming changeovers in limiting them to three at the most, per day. Dirk Löhrmann: “Theoretically, you could do a product changeover in 20 minutes; but, we take half an hour. This is because not only does the line have to be set up, everything else has to be ready as well - the dough, the filling or the chocolate sticks, peelboards or trays must be available in a sufficient number, the oven trolleys must be ready, as well as the three to four employees who operate and load the machine. I prefer to be well prepared so that we can then work through without interruption. Once the machine is up and running, everything has to be right.”

Dough belt systems are multi-talented in the bakery, but complex at the same time. The plant manager says: “It is not enough to set the machine to one product and let it run.

Doughs do not always behave the same way. Machine, processes, doughs - they all have to be coordinated. And most importantly, there must be an employee who knows the line inside out. It has to be his baby, so to speak.”

© f2m

©

Ro

nd

o

Making the stollenstrudel

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VISIT

Training is therefore significant for new acquisitions. When Ebbing put the new generation into operation, a master baker from Rondo came to the company for seven working days to set up the system and familiarize the employees with all the functions and programs. In the meantime, around 27 programs were stored. The dough band system operates autonomously and is controlled by a PLC. If new products are being tested, the bakery first uses existing programs as a guide and selects the closest match.

From one idea comes the next The ‘Fülltupfen’ (vanilla pudding rosettes) is one of the products that the bakery has been producing on the Rondo line for some time now. “Once a week, we make filling dots, freeze them and use them as required for our Danish pastries,” reports Daniel Ebbing. “If we can deposit these fillings, we think, we will be able to proceed similarly with other masses.” For this reason, special filling spouts were purchased, with which the bakery now produces 35 g cookielike gingerbread cookies using the system.

The bakery has said goodbye to one idea: “In addition to the short pastry base, we initially also wanted to run the sponge base for the sheet cakes over the system,” says the

company boss. “The plant itself can handle that. Our problem was more that, with the quantities that would have to run through, we wouldn’t be able to keep up with the beating of the sponge mixture.”

Room for improvement The bakery does not use machine hourly rates or similar calculations for the dough belt system. There is no question that it is profitable. “Theoretically, we could shorten the weekly production to four days by using the line, which means we could save one day,” explains the plant manager.

In fact, he says, that has already been done. “But then, it impacts elsewhere. We lack the space and the freezer capacity. In that respect, it doesn’t serve our purpose.”

Daniel Ebbing adds: “The plant could do more, we know that. But, in my opinion, it’s much more important to have a smooth workflow than to get everything we can out of it. Only if we can work without stress can we achieve the product quality we want and the low reject rates we want and reach. If the plant then still offers room for improvement, and it does, we are already pretty well-positioned for the future.” *The sausage roll is a hearty puff pastry filled with seasoned minced meat.

Seven steps to a stress-free dough band In seven steps, the Smartline processes doughs into regular, stress-free dough bands and feeds subsequent pastry lines.

Regardless of the type of dough, the process remains the same. Each type of dough has different requirements. Soft doughs with high water content, e.g. for the production of ciabatta and long-fermented bread, may only be processed for a short time so that the pore structure and aroma created during the proofing process are retained. Conversely, firm doughs

© Rondo

such as non-pre-proofed yeast doughs or toured flaky cake and croissant doughs must be gently and slowly rolled off to preserve the structure and layers. According to Rondo, the system can cope with both, thanks in no small part to its centerpiece,

1,000 grams. It is suitable for 24/7 production and achieves

the tilting satellite head. If the position of the satellite is

belt speeds of up to 8 m/min.

changed, the rolling distance and thus the intensity and duration

The latest generation has been further improved in terms of

of the dough contact are altered.

hygiene, has almost no drop heights and works with the latest

+ With soft doughs, it is optimal to position the satellite behind the bottom roller. This results in a steep and thus

motor technology and PLC. It is even more flexible in terms of products, says Rondo.

short rolling section.

+ Optimal conditions for firm doughs are created when the satellite head is placed vertically above the bottom roller.

This creates a flat, long and gentle rolling section and, according to the company, a good intake at the same time.

Almost all baked goods, except for round pastries such as sliced rolls in the bread roll area, can be produced on the Smartline. According to Rondo, the dough belt system is now also used in some companies for large breads weighing

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© Rondo

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VISIT

THE BAKERY

That's typical Ebbing

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© f2m

Coesfeld in the Münsterland region is home to the headquarters of the Ebbing bakery, which employs around 400 people and operates 38 branches within a 40 km radius. It is an agricultural region north of the Ruhr area with people who are generally said to be straightforward and down-to-earth. For the bakery, which has many regular customers, this means not chasing after every trend, but instead relying on routine, well-thought-out craftsmanship. Plant manager Dirk Löhrmann: “The Münsterländer doesn’t need something new every time. He wants consistency and wants his product of the quality he is familiar with. If someone buys a product for years, then he can also define the quality. Therefore, we must not deviate from our standards.” For some products, the bakery has a unique selling point. The stollenstrudel, the chocolate roll and the sausage roll are prime examples. He goes on to say: “They are also typical Ebbing in terms of taste.”

The company’s top 10 products include sliced rolls, which make up 8% of sales, as well as grain rolls, the multigrain bread called Ebbing, chocolate croissants (more precisely chocolate rolls), apple pie and even the pretzel breadstick, which is rather unusual for a company that is located so far north in Germany. The company boss puts snack sales at around 25%. Daniel Ebbing: “Bakery snacks are important, even if business slowed down last year due to COVID. By the way, we are swimming against the trend in production. We do have a central stocking department, but it only covers the basic products. We fill in the rest fresh in the specialty stores. We do things differently.” Pizza is also part of the concept, as well as homemade pasta. +++

© f2m

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Part of the concept: guests are able to toast bread by themselves

© f2m

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ENROBING IS OUR STRENGTH

ENROMAT® www.sollich.com

U N I Q U E FO R YO U R N EEDS

VISIT

PART 2

All in one system MPREIS is a grocer in Tyrol, Austria. The company has envisioned its bakery, Therese Mölk, to streamline every activity within its walls under a single control system, from production lines to conveying, handling products, and even including the building’s heating and cooling system.

© AutomationX

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The AutomationX platform, display

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The bakery, founded in 1925 by Therese Mölk, may soon be 100 years old, but its production is anything but old: the new Therese Mölk bakery in Völs had a complete makeover in 2013. After two years of planning and construction, it became not only the largest bakery in the area, but also one of the most modern bakeries in Austria.

To bring together all the latest-generation equipment in the new headquarters, MPREIS worked with automation specialist AutomationX. The comprehensive project began one year before the new building was ready to begin production and it covered everything from production planning, recipe administration, batch traceability, silo management, to the building’s control system, and the control of the refrigeration unit – all brought together under one management system. The goal of this unified control system was to monitor and manage as many technical systems as possible using a single platform, developed by AutomationX. In the first step of the project, the automation specialist brought together under the management of one software system the silo facilities, dosing materials, the central control system of the bakery production facilities, the warehouse administration system and quality assurance. As MPREIS prides itself on its organic product range, in which it is a market leader, special attention was given to traceability. The entire process was rendered continuously traceable, from the moment the materials are received, up to product delivery: raw materials are saved into the system upon arrival at the facility; the total inventory is then registered in the MPREIS inventory

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control system. The AutomationX warehouse administration module monitors the shelf life of the materials and the status of the storage. Stock transfers and commissioning are also handled with this module. Materials are assigned in advance for the lines in RFID-coded containers, down to the exact batch. Any manual additions are displayed and added via the respective container numbers in the mixing area.

The systems MPREIS operates on the AutomationX platform:

+ Control technology for the silo facility + Recipe management system + Warehouse administration + Kneading machines synchronization + Production planning software + Quality assurance + Central control system via all the technical facilities in the bakery

+ Building the control system and energy data collection system for the bakery and the adjacent meat factory

+ Conveyor systems management + Automated oil system + Refrigeration systems control for the bakery, the meat factory and the deep-freeze warehouse

+ Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system integration into the AutomationX control system

VISIT

As the materials do through dosing according to the recipes being produced, the AutomationX system transfers the information required for kneading to the automated kneaders. As the bowls are manually fed to the kneader, the software follows the progress as the RFID tags on the bowls are read. The process is further monitored at the measurement station and in the kneading machine itself.

Real-time visualization of the production is available on touch panels located at several points along production lines. Weights and temperatures are recorded via connected scales and temperature sensors. The process is monitored along the line to optimize each step as needed – timing when dough should enter the line, and streamlining its processing stages.

All the production machines are connected to the AutomationX central control system. Technical status data and error and operation messages are displayed. Conveyor systems in the bakery are also connected to the system. Belt speeds are automatically adjusted to maintain a continuous flow synchronize with the oven and the packaging station.

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The software receives regular updates for performance improvements. The newest version is the AutomationX 5, which brings security benefits as all data is stored in a database on a Windows server, same as SCADA.

Measurement, control and regulation technology In addition to the bakery, AutomationX software also controls the entire building. The goal was clear from the start, in line with the importance MPREIS places on sustainability: operating in an energy-save mode. To maximize savings, several waste heat recovery circuits are installed in the building, to capture residual heat from the ovens and the refrigeration systems into a buffer tank. The AutomationX system can record the energy consumption via its direct interfaces or through measurements of flow and temperatures. “The freely-programmable, itemoriented AutomationX control system proved particularly capable when required to deal with complex regulations relating to the entire system,” explains Thomas Mühlehner, Managing Director, AutomationX. Freely-programmable control is also the solution applied to the refrigeration system, so that it, too, saves energy while operating.

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Using a single software system for all tasks simplifies operation, servicing and maintenance at MPREIS. “It is not the people who have to work for the machines, it is the automated machines that have to work for people,” Daniel Plattner, our guide from the technical department of MPREIS, emphasized the importance of the systems to make the staff’s work easier. The detailed information gathered from all areas of production and all sections of the entire facility allows for adjustments to be made to optimize energy consumption. +++

Kempf GmbH | Carl-Benz-Straße 3 | 85296 Rohrbach ++49 8442/9669-0 | www.kempfgmbh.de

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INGREDIENTS

A lasting glow A glossy layer atop diverse bakery products is a great way to make a first impression and, more often than not, plays a decisive role in purchasing decisions. It keeps products fresh, and stable, it contributes to their flavor or color. It also helps to enable creativity in decorations and brand products such as cakes, pastries, muffins, donuts, or hybrid creations.

+

Several solutions can be used to cover baked goods, including glazes, icings, frostings, or fondants. Although some might be called interchangeably, there are quite some differences between them. The needed functionalities and the working of the products are very much dependent on the type of application for which they are used.

As a company with American roots and European heritage, Dawn Foods has a background in the full spectrum of glazes and icings that are used around the world. Christopher Ries, Category Marketing Manager Wets at Dawn Foods EU & AMEAP, mapped the various types for us, with their benefits and utilization guidelines. Glazes can be divided into three major segments: + Hot glazes need to be diluted if a concentrated variant is used, and heated – often to the boil – before applying.

These glazes are used on fresh fruits to ensure a nice shine. Their functional role is to keep the fruits fresh for longer. Some can add flavor and color to the application (e.g. Strawberry glaze). Hot glazes can be applied with a brush or a spraying machine, which works very well when the fruits and the application that needs to be covered are delicate. “Our Belnap®-range is, for example, very suitable to apply with a brush on delicate fruits. The Gelomat is developed for spraying applications,” Ries illustrates.

Cold glazes are ready to use cold, + or only slightly warmed (up to 30-45°C).

+

They are used for mirrors on mousse cakes, bavaroises, or entremets. They are easily tailored and customizable with flavoring pastes or colors, allowing bakers to be creative and develop signature applications. “With our Decorgel® Plus range, customers can even go bold with shapes, as the glazes hold on vertical and round surfaces, such as domes – covering the application with an even layer of glaze,” Ries details.

The functionality of both hot and cold glazes comes mostly from pectins and gels.

Donut glazes, also called glaze icing, are specific to donuts and their product family, such as Berliners, yum yums and other local donut-alike specialties. These glazes are mainly applied directly after frying. They keep the donuts fresh for longer and have a nice ‘sugar bite’ to contrast the fluffy dough. The functionality of a donut glaze is mainly derived from sugar, like with fondants and icings.

Other categories to choose from are icings and fondants.

The key to working with both is achieving a smooth texture and the characteristic gloss. Fondants have their origin in France (‘fondant’ comes from the French word ‘fondre, which means ‘to melt’). It is traditionally a white thick mass made of glucose syrup and sugar only, which requires more technical handling in its application. “Fondants need to be diluted with water and warmed to the right temperature, for the right viscosity and glossiness,” Ries explains. They are used widely in traditional

© Dawn Foods

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© Dawn Foods

pastries across Europe, with typical applications including eclairs or other choux pastries, millefeuille, Berliners and other cakes.

Icings are often linked with American sweet bakery applications, such as dipping donuts or drizzling over muffins and brownies. “Icings are very convenient, easy to use and have an increased tolerance compared to fondants,” Ries continues. They are often ‘ready to use’, without the need to dilute them in water (many fondants do, for comparison) and freeze-stable. Pastries can be directly dipped into the icing, as its viscosity is adapted and it will not drip.

“The smoothness of fondants and icings, in particular, is dependent on the particle size of the sugar: the smaller and more refined, the smoother the coating.”

Thomas Deconinck, R&D Center of Excellence Manager Wets, Dawn Foods EU & AMEAP

For best results in applications, “The smoothness of fondants and icings, in particular, is dependent on the particle size of the sugar: the smaller and more refined, the smoother the coating,” explains Thomas Deconinck, R&D Center of Excellence Manager Wets, Dawn Foods EU & AMEAP.

The right shine Dawn Foods has a broad portfolio of glazes and icings, the best choice among them depending on the application and its specific requirements. This category is also highly customizable, with solutions that can be adapted to specific flavor profiles or tailored to make the product fit functional needs. For example, most icings developed by Dawn Foods are freeze/thaw stable. Speaking of functional properties, the company’s recently launched Dawn Exceptional ® Non-Sticky Donut glaze specifically addresses the issue of the glaze stability when it is applied on a donut intended to be packed in a tight packaging: “This innovative glaze is stable when a usual glaze liquifies and sticks to the packaging,” Deconinck says.

For fruit glazes, Dawn typically uses gelling agents, which create a mirror or shiny cover that preserves the fresh fruits in the application. The main functionality in fruit glazes comes from gelling agents, or hydrocolloids. “Ingredients such as hydrocolloids are carefully selected and tested, to ensure they have the needed functional properties. These properties are defined by our application chefs and product developers based on our customer insights regarding their expectations from the glaze or icing, the intended utilization and the type of product to decorate,” Deconinck says.

Local market preferences also influence how Dawn develops custom glazings and icings. For example, fudge icings are popular in the UK, and are not sold elsewhere. They have a higher amount of fat and are quite different in terms of applications and mouthfeel than some of our other icings, Ries details. Aside from market-specific trends and flavor preferences, decoration materials also follow general consumer trends. “Hot glazes, for example, support the preservation of the freshness of (soft) fruits, preventing them from oxidizing or withering and turning brown,” Deconinck shares. Another important function of icings and glazes is the ability to extend product shelf life, minimizing food waste. +++ KOENIG Motiv4 NTS 91x53.qxd

12.02.2007

11:10 Uhr

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The development of new glazings or icings starts from the application for which they are going to be used and all its relevant characteristics, including the temperature of application, the water activity of the dough, cooling time, and the humidity in the packaging. “Is the pastry going to be sold fresh or frozen? All those parameters will influence the choice of the ingredients and make the product suitable for its application,” explains Ries. The application process itself is also factored in. Ries shares the example of the Dip Quik ® icing, in this regard, which does not even need to be warmed up and can be used straight out of the pail for fast donut or muffin decorations.

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Suppression of baking powder in a pound cake using an overpressure strategy © Igor Normann – stock.adobe.com

Baking soda or baking powder is the most common carbon dioxide (CO2) source. It is used to produce aerated cakes, for example. This article proposes an alternative to the use of baking powder by using the mixing of the batter under CO2 pressure.

by Juliette Palier, Catherine Loisel, Luc Guihard, Cécile Rannou,

+

Alain Le-Bail and Patricia Le-Bail

Baking powder is usually made of a blend of an alkaline agent that generates CO2 and of an acidic counterpart to neutralize the alkaline agent. The neutralization yields the release of CO2 mainly during baking. The removal of baking powder seems to be a ‘hot topic’ for the baking industry, driven by the trend to reduce certain ingredients, including sodium chloride (clean label).

A prototype mixer was used with air and CO2 applied with gauge pressures of 0.3 and 0.5 bar. CO2 pressure-mixing yielded the best results regarding cake-specific volume (2.5 mL/g or 86% of the specific volume of the reference cake with baking powder) compared to air pressure. This result was explained by the solubilization of CO2 in the liquid phase of the batter during mixing and its release during baking.

1. Introduction Fine bakery wares such as cakes can be considered as solid foams due to their alveolar structure. Their porosity is achieved through the solidification of the batter during baking thanks to the batter to crumb transition (Mizukoshi et al., 1979). During mixing, air is incorporated as bubbles into the batter thanks to the rotation of the tool during mixing. The bubbles will further expand during baking thanks to (i) expansion of gases, (ii) vaporization of water and eventually release of CO2 produced by a leavening agent such as baking powder (BP), resulting in an aerated structure.

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BP releases carbon dioxide (CO 2) during the mixing and baking process; it is made of two components, an alkaline component, which is usually sodium bicarbonate and an acidic component usually made of sodium pyrophosphate.

The acidic component neutralizes the alkaline component resulting in the release of CO2. BP acts usually at two stages, with a double action; CO 2 is first released during mixing thanks to partial neutralization of sodium bicarbonate, which contributes to the stabilization of the gas nuclei embedded in the batter during mixing. In the second stage, the neutralization is finalized due to the full availability of the acidic component. Mixing the batter while applying an overpressure in the headspace of the mixer can be considered as an alternative to BP; the use of CO2 is relevant since the solubilization of this gas can be expected during mixing. This strategy has been mainly investigated in the case of bread dough (Chin & al., 2004; Chin & Campbell, 2005a, 2005b; Martin & al., 2004a; Sadot & al., 2017; Trinh & al., 2013), cookie dough (Brijwani & al., 2008) and in cake or sponge cake batter (Massey & al., 2001; Palier & al., 2022). This study aimed to show the impact of the replacement of the BP by a process of mixing under pressure, on certain properties of the cake and, in particular, the sensory experience.

2. Materials and methods 2.1. Materials The ingredients used in the preparation of batter were wheat flour (15.2% water content, 10.5% protein, 1.3% fat, 68.1% starch and 0.4% ash on wb; Giraudineau, France), whole liquid egg (77.5% water content, 0.8% minerals, 12.1% protein, 10.2% fat and 0.8% carbohydrates on wb; Transgourmet,

SCIENCE

Table 1: Composition of the control cake batter (with BP) and cake batter without BP SUGAR (%)

Egg (%)

Total water

(%)

content (%)

FLOUR (%)

With BP

29

25

25

20

1

23.8

Without BP

29.25

25.25

25.25

20.25

0

24.0

France), saccharose of caster sugar type (Béghin-Say, Tereos, France), fat that was an anhydrous blend of 70% vegetable oil (rapeseed oil) and 30% anhydrous milk fat (butter) supplied by Corman (Belgium), sodium bicarbonate (Brenntag, Germany) and SAPP 10 (sodium acid pyrophosphate, Budenheim, Germany).

2.2. Batter preparation There were two recipes (i) with BP and (ii) without BP. The recipes are given in Table 1.

“The perception of sweetness seems to be correlated with the compactness of the crumb: the less porosity the cake has, the more intense the sweetness is.”

Batter preparation was a multistage mixing method. It consisted of a creaming stage where fat and sugar are first creamed together. Then, liquid egg was added followed by flour with or without BP. The gases considered for mixing were air and CO2 at two levels of pressure (i) 0.3 bar or (ii) 0.5 bar above atmospheric pressure. The pressure levels were chosen according to the maximal pressure of the mixer.

Four types of cakes were studied: The reference: with BP and mixed at atmospheric pressure, ‘Ref’ + The negative control: without BP and mixed at atmospheric pressure, ‘Neg’ + Air cakes: without BP and mixed with air ovepressure at 0.3 or 0.5 bar above atmospheric pressure, ‘Air 300’ and ‘Air 500’ + CO2 cakes: without BP and mixed with air ovepressure at 0.3 or 0.5 bar above atmospheric pressure, ‘CO 2 300’ and ‘CO2 500’.

Mixing was done in a prototype batch mixer (VMI, St Hilaire de Loulay, France) similar to the one used by Sadot et al.

(2017) and Palier et al. (2022). The same mixing protocol as Palier et al. (2022) was used.

+

2.3. Baking procedure Baking molds (dimensions 170*78*80 mm) were filled with 300g of batter; they were directly baked at 180°C for 30 minutes in a deck oven (MIWE condo deck oven, Germany) to prevent batter degassing. After baking, the cakes were

Fat (%)

Baking Powder

RECIPE

removed from the molds and were cooled at room temperature for two hours. Then, the cakes were placed in a sealed plastic bag until analysis tests.

2.4. Cake specific volume The cake-specific volume was measured with a laser volumeter (Tex Vol BVM L370 LC – Perten, Sweden) according to the AACC method 10-14.01.

2.5. Browning of the crust The surface lightness of the crust was measured with a Minolta CR-400 colorimeter in the LAB (L*, a*, b*) color space with a D65 illuminant (corresponding to natural daylight in a temperate area).

2.6. Image of crumb structure A visual comparison of the cake volume and shape, as well as size and size distribution of the crumb cells, was performed using a Coolpix A900 camera (Nikon, Japan) with an image resolution of 20.3 MP. Pictures of the top of the cakes and the middle slice were taken. Slices of approximately 26 mm thickness were cut from the middle of the cake using a cutting guide.

2.7. Sensorial analysis In order to evaluate the general appreciation of the product and the preferences for some of its attributes, two tests were performed: a hedonic scoring test coupled with a Just About Right (JAR) test. Only three formulations were compared: ‘Ref’ with BP, ‘Neg’ without BP and ‘CO2 300’ without BP and CO2 overpressure mixing. The hedonic test consists of evaluating the appreciation of the cakes by consumers, a hedonic rating is performed using a 9 points rating scale ranging from ‘very unpleasant’ to ‘very pleasant’ and ‘neither pleasant nor unpleasant’. The maximum sum corresponds to the sum of the scores if all the judges had given the maximum score of nine.

The JAR test evaluates the degree of satisfaction with several product attributes. In our case, the attributes evaluated were (i) the browning of the crust, (ii) the porosity of the crumb, (iii) the hardness of the crumb, (iv) the sweetness, (v) roasted aroma and (vi) the overall aromatic intensity.

The evaluation was based on five degrees of satisfaction ranging from ‘not really enough’ to ‘just about right’ to ‘really too much’. The tests took place over two consecutive days in the ONIRIS school sensory analysis rooms which

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meet the NF EN ISO 8589 (2010) standard. The room contains 30 individual boxes; the temperature and luminosity are controlled. The 60 judges (standard NF EN ISO 11136 -2017) performed the tests in one session. The judges were recruited within the ONIRIS staff voluntarily and were mostly ONIRIS students. For both tests, the samples were presented in identical cardboard boxes. The samples were coded using a 3 digits number generated by the FIZZ sensory analysis software (Biosystèmes, France). Each formulation had a distinct number and these numbers were different between the two tests. The order of the sample presentation for each judge was determined with the FIZZ software in order to ensure a balanced order of presentation of the samples.

A questionnaire in a paper format combining the two tests was given to each judge at the beginning of the session with the information sheet and the consent form.

In Palier et al. (2022) the hypothesis formulated was that the release of CO 2 during baking improved the volume.

Moreover, CO 2 might be kept in batter until baking and released at the right time during baking, just before the stiffening of the structure (Hesso, 2014; Godefroidt et al., 2021). In conclusion, overpressure mixing with CO 2 allows the specific volume of the cakes to be increased without BP. However, their specific volume corresponded to 86% of one of the ‘Ref’ cakes with baking powder.

3.2. Browning of the crust Browning of the crust is shown in figure 2 as the lightness (L*, higher value = lighter crust). Cakes with BP ‘Ref’ had the darkest crust while the negative control without BP or overpressure mixing ‘Neg’ had the lightest one. Cakes mixed in overpressure were located in-between.

2.8. Statistical analysis One way-ANOVA was applied. The least significant differences were calculated by the Tukey test and the significance at p < 0.05 was determined. These analyses were performed using GraphPrism statistical software. Each experiment was done in triplicate: two batches and three cakes were analyzed in each batch.

3.1. Specific volume of cakes The specific volume of the cakes was compared between the different formulations (Figure 1). The JAR tests were analysed with penality analysis tests.

Figure 2: Lightness (L*) of the crust of the different cakes

3.3. Shape and alveolar structure of cakes Pictures of the top and of a slice of the cakes have been taken in order to compare visually the crust and the crumb of each cake.

Figure 1: Specific volume of the cakes; (Ref: with baking powders; Neg: no baking powders; Air 300: air 0.3 bar; Air 500: air 0.5 bar; CO2 300: CO2 0.3 bar; CO2 500: CO2 0.5 bar); bars with the same letter are not significantly different (p>0.05)

As in our previous study, Palier et al. (2022), the reference cake ‘Ref’, with BP exhibited the greatest specific volume (2.9 ± 0.1 mL/g). The ‘Air 300’ and ‘Air 500’ cakes were similar to the ‘Neg’ one (2.1. ± 0.1 mL/g). However, mixing under CO2 pressure improved the specific volume of the cake by 19% compared to the ‘Neg’ cake without BP (2.5 mL/g), or corresponded to 86% of the specific volume of Ref’ cake with baking powder. There was no significant difference (p> 0.05) between the two pressure levels (0.3 or 0.5 bar).

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The pictures in figure 3 show the differences in crust color and shape of the cakes. The cake ‘Ref’ with BP was flat on the top and ‘Air’ ones had a concave shape. Both experienced a collapsing phenomenon. On the contrary, the ‘CO2’ and ‘Neg’ cakes were well bombed on the top. Donovan (1977) showed that to reach an optimal volume and a homogeneous texture and structure, the maximum CO 2 release must take place in the same time interval as the starch gelatinization and protein denaturation corresponding to the stiffening of the structure, also called batter-crumb transition. Indeed, the rapid stabilization of the bubbles during the rigidification avoids the collapse of the structure.

Moreover, during cake cooling the gases contract or condense. The degree of starch gelatinization and protein aggregation and particularly proteins determine the strength of the crumb structure and thus the cake’s ability to collapse (Gough et al., 1978; Guy and Pithawala, 1981) by contributing to stronger cell walls (Wilderjans et al., 2008).

© INRAE

3. Results

© INRAE

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© INRAE

SCIENCE

© INRAE

Figure 3: Pictures of the top of the cakes (crust); image resolution 20.3 MP

Figure 4: Pictures of the slice of the cakes (crumb); image resolution 20.3 MP

In the case of cakes mixed with air overpressure, there was no CO2 released and the crumb was not completely baked as can be seen in figure 3. Thus, there was less expansion and the breakdown could be explained by undercooking which resulted in a weaker crumb structure. The flat shape of the top of the cake ‘Ref’ could be due to the kinetics of CO2 release during baking. The maximum of CO2 release might be released after the stiffening of the structure and therefore, this additional gas could not be retained in the structure and thus led to a breakdown of the structure. The crust of the cakes without BP and especially ‘Neg’ and ‘Air’ ones was lighter than the crust of the ‘Ref’ cake with BP. In our previous study (Palier & al., 2022), we have explained this difference in lightness by batter pH. In fact, Maillard reactions are influenced by pH; the more acidic the pH, the less Maillard reactions occur and vice versa (Fox & al., 1983; Raville, 1987; Susan Mathew & al., 2019). Cakes with BP ‘Ref’ were more basic than the others, most certainly because of an incomplete neutralization reaction. Even if they had the same pH, the crust of ‘CO 2’ cakes was darker than the other cakes without BP, probably because they were completely baked, and thus had a higher water activity that diluted the Maillard reaction (Fox & al., 1983).

Figure 4 shows the pictures of the central slice of the different cakes studied. In these pictures, it is possible to differentiate the height of the cakes and the alveolar structure of the crumb of the different cake formulations. The ‘Ref’ cake with

BP was the highest and had a coarser crumb, compared with the cakes without BP. The crumb of cakes without BP was denser and more compact. As mentioned before, the crumb of the ‘Air’ and ‘Neg’ cakes had a problem with underbaking. They were also smaller than ‘Ref’ and ‘CO 2’ cakes. In terms of height, the ‘CO 2’ cakes were closer to the ‘Ref’ cake with BP. As a conclusion, cakes without BP were smaller than the ones with BP. They were also undercooked.

However, the height of ‘CO2’ cakes was close to the ‘Ref’ cake with BP. ‘CO2’ cakes had also a better shape: they were well bombed on the top while the others were flat or collapsed.

3.4. Sensorial analysis The total score is the addition of each score for each cake from all panelists. It corresponds to a liking score. Thus, the higher the score, the more the cake was appreciated by the panel. Overall, the cakes were all liked: the total score value for each cake was above half the maximum total sum (60 judges*9 max note= 540; half note was 540/2= 270).

The cake ‘CO 2 300’ was the most liked by the panelists, followed by the ‘Neg’ cake (negative control) and finally, the ‘Ref’ cake (positive control).

In order to understand the optimal degree of preference for several criteria regarding this cake, a criteria analysis on a JAR scale was performed. The cakes were divided into two distinct groups for crust browning (i). The BP and NBP cakes were too light for more than half of the panelists

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(60% of ‘not enough’ and ‘really not enough’). The CO2 300 cake got the most ‘JAR = just right’ (57%). For the ‘Neg’ cakes, the result was in agreement with the instrumental measurement of crust color (part 3.2.- figure 2), but not for the ‘Ref’ cake. The roasted aroma (v) was perceived in a similar way for all cakes: almost half of the panel found it just right and the other half, not pronounced enough. Overall, the texture (iii) of the cakes was appreciated by at least half of the panelists for all cakes except the ‘Neg’ cake; more than half of the panel (58%) found it too hard or not soft enough. These results are confirmed by instrumental measurement (TPA double compression test), where the NBP cake is the hardest (Palier et al., 2022).

too sweet by almost half of the consumers. The perception of sweetness seems to be correlated with the compactness of the crumb: the less porosity the cake has, the more intense the sweetness is. The overall aromatic intensity of the ‘Neg’ cakes was too intense for 20% of the panel, while for

Authors Juliette Paliera,

, Catherine Loiselb,

c, d

, Luc Guihardb,c, d,

Cécile Rannoub, c, d, Alain Le- Bailb, c, d, Patricia Le-Baila, d, * a

UR1268, Biopolymères, Interactions, Assemblages, INRAE, F-44300 Nantes, France

b c

Texture was also linked to the result of crumb porosity. The majority of the panel (80%) rated the ‘Neg’ cake had not aerated enough. The sweetness (e) was considered ‘just right’ by the majority of the panel for ‘Ref’ cakes. On the contrary, the ‘Neg’ and ‘CO2 300’ cakes were considered

b, c, d

Oniris, UMR 6144 GEPEA CNRS, Nantes, F-44307, France

CNRS, Nantes, F-44307, France

d

Unité Sous Contrat USC INRAE-TRANSFORM/CNRS-GEPEA

*Corresponding author at: INRAE, UR 1268, Impasse Thérèse Bertrand-Fontaine, BP 71627, F- 44316 Nantes Cedex 3, France. E-mail adress: patricia.le-bail@inrae.fr (P. Le-Bail)

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(2008). The role of gluten in a pound cake system: A model ap-

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half of the panel, the ‘Ref’ cake was not intense enough.

This was certainly due to the baking of the cake and the porosity of the crumb: the crumb was not completely baked (figure 4) and the cake was denser than the others (figure 1).

Moreover, this cake was considered too sweet by almost half of the panel. Alternatively, the ‘CO 2 300’ cake, which was also perceived as too sweet, was the one that had an overall aromatic intensity that was the most appreciated (58% of ‘just right’). As a conclusion, the removal of BP did not decrease the overall appreciation of the cakes. The cakes were all globally appreciated. Thus, it is possible to reduce the sodium by mixing in CO2 overpressure without negatively impacting the appreciation. It seems that it is the whole of the attributes related to the texture, the porosity, the color, or the taste, which play on the appreciation of the cakes.

4. Conclusion The aim of this study was to show the impact of the replacement of the baking powder by a process of mixing under pressure, on certain properties of the cake and, in particular, on the sensory experience. In our previous study (Palier & al., 2022), we have highlighted that overpressure mixing with CO 2 allows for replacing the BP action and obtaining more voluminous cakes. In this study, we have shown that the removal of BP, modified crust lightness and cake alveolar structure. However, on the contrary, these differences did not impact sensory appreciation. Cakes without BP were more compact and thus sweetness was higher. They were more appreciated than the cake with baking powder, which was more voluminous and with a coarser crumb. +++

© carl-heyerdahl-unsplash.com

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INTERVIEW

© Baker&Baker

A well-prepared journey Baker & Baker reported a turnover of EUR 450 m and 14% growth in its first year as a standalone business. These results are particularly remarkable in a COVID year and against supply chain issues and spikes in energy costs.

John Lindsay, the company’s CEO, shares how the business made such progress and gives us a glimpse into the second year and beyond.

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Catalina Mihu: Congratulations on the impressive results! What are your thoughts about the company’s first year?

John Lindsay: Starting with the pandemic, inflation, labor issues (and the list could continue), all things considered, it has been a good year; we are very pleased with how it went. The timing was interesting! Bakeries of all types, but particularly family businesses, such as artisan bakeries in Germany, for example, are truly the unsung heroes of the past years. They were resilient and, even though the coffee corners in the bakery were closed through COVID, the shop itself kept baking and selling bakery goods throughout the pandemic. Artisan bakers, in particular, performed a critical function, which is probably why bakery has held up better than some other industries. They truly deserve credit for serving their communities. Recovery has been different in different countries. We saw foodservice pick up, particularly in the south, and in markets that are more dependent on it – countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Mihu: Out of the seven countries where Baker & Baker operates, which have been the best-performing markets (and market segments) over the past year?

Lindsay: The growth was general and not specific to a certain country. The key dynamic was the quick rebound of the most affected markets. Looking at the pandemic as a whole, countries that were more foodservice-focused were the hardest hit. In our case, Benelux and the south were impacted the most. But, they also had the strongest recovery.

The core markets for us, the UK and Germany, were relatively resilient through the pandemic. Restaurants and gastronomy closed down, whereas bakeries and in-store bakeries kept going. Foodservice is just a part of our business so the

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John Lindsay

impact we felt was nowhere near what companies having 80% of their business reliant on the sector experienced.

Alternatively, bakeries and in-store bakeries, probably benefitted to some degree from restaurants being closed.

Looking back on it now, some of that business would, naturally, shift to other outlets such as local bakeries.

Mihu: As Baker & Baker enters its second year in business, what is the current outlook for the markets?

Lindsay: With restrictions, for the most part, lifted, the markets are continuing to stabilize. What we are looking forward to is the real recovery of tourism, especially in the Iberian Peninsula – starting with Spain. Spain was hit very hard, its tourism industry was virtually closed off, with a very low hotel occupancy. We see things beginning to recover: this Easter was a turning point in this regard. To a lesser extent, looking at countries like Switzerland, France, or Italy, if tourism is again up and running, that would almost bring us back to a pre-pandemic position.

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Mihu: The three outstanding challenges have been the pandemic, inflation and labor issues. Aside from the pandemic, what influence does inflation have at present?

Lindsay: Inflation is a worldwide issue now and it has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. Europe is not the primary market for the sunflower oil and wheat that are produced in Ukraine, the Middle East is. However, any disturbance to the market has a knock-on effect: if there is a shortage of sunflower oil, then palm oil or rapeseed oil are impacted as well. We are having honest and open discussions with our customers about this. I think there is a realization throughout Europe that we all face a realistic situation. I think there is an acceptance that inflation is real, and is something that we have to tackle together, in the most sensitive way possible. Ultimately, we can all see inflation repression.

“What one might call standard kinds of products are now becoming quite elaborate. There is innovation within staple products. ” John Lindsay

Mihu: What are some measures that might work, in this regard?

Lindsay: The good thing is that we produce staple products.

Some of them are treats; but, above all, bakery is a staple of life. The bakers and retailers can make different choices in tems of products that they sell and promote. Options are many, as the majority of bakery products aren’t particularly high-value, and they offer sustenance. Unlike some other industries, such as cars or furniture, for example, there are more choices within bakery than for retailers. Even with inflation, many bakery products still offer very good value for money, and remain the staples that perform a very good function, contributing to a good diet. For that, having an

open communication line with customers works, based on a good relationship with them, which is what we are doing.

The reset Mihu: Baker & Baker started its standalone journey following the business separation via the sale of CSM Ingredients, in April 2021. What did the transition from CSM Bakery Solutions to Baker & Baker entail?

Lindsay: It was a fairly complex process, that took considerable work behind the scenes, in preparation. On the ‘front-end’, regarding the work with our customers, it helped that we managed the business by channels when we were an integrated business, one each for foodservice, industry, artisan bakery, and in-store bakery. Every channel tended to focus more on bakery products, or ingredients. The industry channel, for example, which provided materials for large industrial bakers, was virtually all ingredients, whereas the foodservice channel was all about bakery products.

This is why the customers felt relatively no impact from the split.

Most of the changes were in the back office, involving anything from procurement, to logistics and finance. That is where a lot of hard work went on, aside from legal work, in order to separate the two businesses into independent entities.

Mihu: What helped the transition go so smoothly?

Lindsay: The separation was very carefully planned, with great teamwork and collaboration. We had installed a cutting-edge business process system (SAP) a few years back into our key markets, which involved sustained cross -functional working and teamwork. That was a model for us to go by when we separated the business. That way of working really worked, in addition to careful project planning.

Mihu: What were the main priorities in Baker & Baker’s business strategy, which helped the planning go so well?

Lindsay: The business strategy was to deeply develop the relationship with our key customers, expand into new markets and lead with innovation. Special attention was placed on licensing and the relationship with Mondelēz. It is still the key now. The new territories we are focusing on are markets

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in Eastern countries and the Middle East, where we think there is great growth potential. In the past, with CSM, the focus was mostly on ingredients for international markets outside of Europe. Whereas now, as a bakery business, we believe there is ample room for growth for bakery products there. If you look at the Middle East, you see Western chains such as Costa, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts.

We supply those businesses in Europe, so we think there is a natural path for growth outside of Europe, starting with customers such as these.

Fashionable staples Mihu: You mentioned leading with innovation. What are the priorities in innovation at Baker & Baker?

Lindsay: It’s interesting because, on the one hand, we consider bakery products as staples. But, on the other hand, bakery is similar to the fashion industry: customers are always looking for new ideas. For example, American-style muffins are a growing category throughout Europe. I was looking at some that had a double deposit of batter the other day, half chocolate and half vanilla; a filling inside, a topping above, and completed with some sprinkles. What one might call standard kinds of products are now becoming quite elaborate. There is innovation within staple products.

That is an interesting area for us.

Also, looking at the Mondelēz range of products, particularly a product like the Oreo, it is interesting to see how creative we can be around this brand, starting from the dark chocolate flavor and color and the light, contrasting icing. We are developing Oreo brownies, Oreo muffins and Oreo donuts, for instance. It isn’t simply a case of putting the Oreo label on standard products such as these; the challenge for us is to encapsulate what the Oreo is all about and how it translates into bakery products, in exciting innovations.

The hunger for innovation grows every year. All our customers, whether it’s an artisan baker or an in-store bakery, are constantly looking for innovation. We have separate NPD

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groups focusing on product categories such as muffins, cakes and laminated products.

Mihu: What does your partnership with Mondelēz entail and how could it potentially expand?

Lindsay: Our relationship is very strong. We speak biweekly and we have a five-year plan together, as we both agree we have significant headroom for growth, pertaining to increasing distribution and innovation, around brands such as Oreo, Cadbury in the UK, or Oreo and Milka on the continent. It is also about geographical expansion: we just launched some products last year in Israel, as an example of entering new territories with innovative products. There are many more things we can do in this direction. The growth in our licensed business, particularly Mondelēz, outperforms the rest of the business. It’s a very exciting area for us, especially in continental Europe.

A disruptive backdrop Mihu: The business reported a turnover of EUR 450 m in its first year. How was this 14% growth achieved during COVID-19 restrictions, supply disruptions and fluctuating prices?

Lindsay: We benefited from being a company exclusively dedicated to bakery products. The NPD teams, our sales and marketing are now fully focused on bakery products.

We definitely saw the benefits of that as we navigated COVID and supply issues, and still grew significantly throughout. I think it’s a combination of having the right products at the right price for our customer base, in addition to being a company fully focusing on bakery products, which is one of the real benefits of the separation from CSM. Mihu: Under these circumstances, what strategies have

INTERVIEW

been effective in these circumstances for retail and foodservice, respectively?

Lindsay: It’s all about forming strong relationships with the customers, even more so through challenging times. That is when the supply base looks to the suppliers for support.

Throughout the pandemic, our service held up, despite challenges in keeping the factories running and the deliveries going. Our customers appreciated that. That is what drove the growth through the last 12 months.

Mihu: People must be key to accomplishing this. You mentioned labor challenges, how is Baker & Baker managing this?

Lindsay: In the middle of the pandemic, through the summer months of last year, there was a generalized challenge in this regard. As some of the markets began to open up, there was a definite squeeze on labor. But, we managed to keep the factories going without interruptions, through good relations with our factory managers and workers. We put some protocols in place. That situation has now stabilized, we are over the labor crisis we experienced last year.

Things have not quite returned to normal, but they are rapidly heading that way.

Under development: product innovation Mihu: Looking at the R&D department’s work, what trends are they focusing on?

Lindsay: Free-from and gluten-free are big and growing, and the vegan segment is also very interesting for us. We have a dedicated factory for these ranges, to ensure that there is no gluten ever entering that factory. This makes the entire process a lot simpler than having to segregate everything. On the other hand, there is still a need for indulgence. If consumers decide to ‘purchase some calories’, they must have a meaningful sensation. NPD is working on flavors and texture to provide that. For our NPD, it is also interesting to explore new ways of working with the brands we collaborate with and develop truly exciting choices.

Mihu: Can you share an example of branded product development?

Lindsay: Looking at the Oreo donut we made, it took about two years in development to get it just right, from the flavor profile to the textures and the overall visuals. As well as the pure NPD work, there is a close collaboration with Mondelēz. We developed around 15 prototypes before we got to the final product. We are doing market tests (sampling) and we ensure that we meet the Mondelēz brand requirements through dialogue with our colleagues at Mondelēz. It’s a surprisingly involved and sophisticated process to get to the final product. © B a ke

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Mihu: What would be some of the main steps in this process?

Lindsay: Within our innovation framework, there are certain steps all projects follow, including feasibility and several factory trials. For Oreo products, a lof of the work takes place in a test bakery or a lab: the teams work on developing the dough, the filling, the topping and the overall flavor profile.

Then, we have to replicate all the features we developed on the line, on major machines, to perfect the production of hundreds of tons per day, in some cases. In addition, there is an ongoing dialogue with Mondelēz, throughout the process, followed by marketing and preparations for market. Then, we explain to the customer where such a product could fit in terms of product selection, the reason to believe in it, and why it would appeal to consumers.

Mihu: How was the final product selected out of the 15 donut prototypes?

Lindsay: It’s evolution through a process of elimination, from the beginning to the end. The product is continuously fine-tuned in an iterative process, to reach the final form.

Mihu: What trends in sweet bakery products do you anticipate to dominate in the following years, also having in mind consumers’ focus on health?

Lindsay: There will be a demand for wellness – and bakery plays an important part in this area, especially in regard to sustenance and wholesomeness. It’s not always about taking things out; sometimes, it’s about putting wholesome ingredients in. Alternatively, consumers are looking for creativity and excitement. In this case, we continue to work with flavors and textures to innovate new products, to entice a consumer that will be increasingly more discerning and sophisticated as we go forward.

Year one is just the beginning Mihu: What upcoming projects can we talk about at the moment?

Lindsay: Muffins are a growing category, for instance. We see increasing sophistication in this product. You can expect more innovation in this area, in combinations of different flavors and textures. Looking at fried products, we will see innovation in different shapes and sizes: we just launched a pink heart-shaped donut on the continent, for example.

In the UK, we are working on small, finger-shaped, laminated products called yum-yums. And, of course, there will be more innovation around the Mondelēz brands!

Mihu: The plan to expand into Eastern Europe was recently announced. What are you looking into, regarding emerging markets?

Lindsay: We are opening an office in Poland and we’ve just opened one in Dubai, to extend our distribution and our representation in these areas.

Mihu: What are the challenges of entering a new market?

Lindsay: We usually link with a distributor and try to engage with some key accounts that are already present there. We may also enter a market on a trial basis.

Mihu: Is Poland such a market?

Lindsay: The Poland office is here to stay. We will start on

ke r

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a trial basis in countries such as Israel or Australia, for example, for a few months, to make sure there is a demand for the products in those markets. In countries in Eastern Europe or the Middle East, we would directly establish links with distributors and key customers, and build from there.

“It’s not always about taking things out; sometimes, it’s about putting wholesome ingredients in.”

John Lindsay

Mihu: What opportunities do you see in the Middle East?

Lindsay: We see an increase in demand for Western-type bakery products, from brownies and donuts to cookies and muffins. This is driven, in part, by generational trends: younger consumers are not as attached to very traditional products as the generations before them, they are more open to trendy flavors. American-style cookies are certainly successful among the younger demographic. We even see this in China; it is a pretty universal trend, which presents opportunities to bakery producers, not only local but also European producers.

Mihu: Looking at the production process, as it is fundamental to sustained growth – what investments were made over the past year?

Lindsay: In the UK and Germany, there was more automation. We have a rolling program of investments: last year, for instance, we focused on automation (particularly in chocolate handling and chocolate tanks). There is also a lot of work on packaging automation. We are looking into small robotics that can be placed at the end of the line to ‘pick and pack’. There are some ongoing trials at the moment with some small robots. In the German plants, there is significant work underway to automate inline packaging for donuts.

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Mihu: How is the production divided between the production plants?

Lindsay: In the south, more laminated products are manufactured. In the UK and Germany, more American-style products are made, especially donuts, in large factories. In Belgium, we have a large muffin plant. We are focusing on centers of excellence for each country, rather than doing everything in each country. In addition, the dedicated free-from plant in the UK is worth mentioning. Our plant in Portugal is unique in the manual finishings done there, which are quite labor-intensive. The product range includes loaf cakes with icings on the top, muffins, mini cakes – quite elaborately finished products.

Mihu: What opportunities for upcoming investments are you considering?

Lindsay: Automation is key going forward. It can take the form of material handling, packaging, or small robotics.

Mihu: The strategy for the first year was to build on the foundations. What is the second year shaping up to be like?

Lindsay: The focus will be on continuing to build the relationships with our key customers, on geographical expansion and on driving innovation. This will be a recipe for success for us. +++ ADVERTISER DIRECTORY American Pan. ......................................... 13

Koenig, Werl............................................ 43

AMF Bakery Systems............................. 21

Kwik Lok................................................... 11

Ashworth................................................. 37

Mecatherm. ............................................. 33

Dawn Foods. .............................................. 2

Rademaker.. ............................................. 31

FRITSCH................................................... 27

Reading Bakery Systems........................ 1

IBIE............................................................ 17

Sollich...................................................... 39

Kaak.......................................................... 56

Syntegon. ................................................. 25

Kempf....................................................... 41

PUBLISHING HOUSE Food2Multimedia GmbH Schoolkoppel 27 21449 Radbruch, Germany +49 4178 244 9797 www.foodmultimedia.de EDITOR EMERITUS Hildegard M. Keil hildegard_keil@t-online.de PUBLISHER James Dirk Dixon dixon@foodmultimedia.de EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catalina Mihu mihu@foodmultimedia.de

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