Companies that make pans for the baking industry, whether for breads, baguettes, muffins, cookies, cakes, pies, etc., are focused on issues like larger sizes, a desire for energy and material efficiency, stick resistance, and the ability to help produce specialty and artisanal products.

Customers of ingredient handling equipment are focused on a wide mix of factors to come up with their optimal formulation. These include accuracy, traceability, food safety, automation, cleanability, efficiency, flexibility, batch quality and fire safety, manufacturers say.

Snack and bakery industry customers want belts and conveyors that are fast and easy to clean, maximize energy efficiency, offer strength and durability, require as few tools as possible, and provide flexibility to either switch out products and/or run multiple products at once.

Effectively and efficiently handling dough is integral to many snack and bakery operations. And the needs producers have today are diverse.

The internet of things (IoT) refers to interconnected devices embedded in everyday objects that provide the ability for people to remotely connect with those devices, or for those devices to remotely connect with one another.

Achieving greater efficiency in snack food and bakery plants can come from a variety of different initiatives. The initial design and construction of facilities can be thoughtfully laid out and executed with efficiency in mind.

Different shapes, quicker changeovers, better sanitation, a smaller footprint, more automation, and a balance of speed and safety are among the top-of-mind criteria for customers of slicing and cutting machines in the snack and bakery industry, according to machine manufacturers.

When it comes to equipment like ovens and proofers, internet connectivity, wider and larger machines, artisanal production methods, shorter bake times, reversible belts, energy efficiency and improved cleaning and sanitation are all top considerations in today’s market.

Effective and forward-thinking approaches toward water management can help snack and bakery processors save money, produce more efficiently and draw on less energy, resulting in reduced environmental impact.

Snack and bakery manufacturers have a range of parameters in mind when they're in the market for new or improved dough mixers.