Articles by Ed Finkel

Snack and bakery companies frequently need to design and outfit their facilities with ventilation systems to address issues like food and worker safety and avoid cross-contamination.

Companies who make dough handling equipment like dividers, depositors and rounders say their customers want equipment that provides safety and sanitation, automation and the resulting labor savings, gentler handling of dough, and the flexibility to run a mix of high-throughput, and smaller, niche lines, depending on the job.

Hygienic design, quicker changeovers, reduction of maintenance time, improved cooling ability and the modularity and flexibility to run more-diverse products-sometimes with exotic raw materials that need gentler processing-are the top-of-mind issues for customers of extrusion equipment.

Fryers continue to see ongoing improvements related to hygienic design, oil management and energy efficiency. Equipment suppliers are also offering models that occupy a smaller physical and carbon footprint, and that include adaptability to handle a diverse array of products.

Ingredient handling equipment, such as batchers, hoppers, pneumatic conveyors, sifters, sorters and storage silos, helps snack and bakery operations store, refine, prepare, measure and transport ingredients, streamlining production.

Today's snack and bakery companies need belts and conveyors that provide reliability to keep production steady, versatility to handle different types of products, sanitary design that allows easy access for efficient cleaning and maintenance, and the ability to detach and reattach them with as few tools as possible to account for issues like allergy concerns.

Ease of cleaning, maintenance and access, as well as the ability to produce a wider variety of items, are among the top desires of companies looking to purchase dough laminators and sheeters for production of snack foods and baked goods.

Automation, advances in sanitary design, greater worker safety and additional flexibility in packaging have been among the top requests that manufacturers of cutting, slicing and portioning equipment say they've been fielding from their customers this year.

Snack and bakery equipment companies have been busy updating ovens and proofers in recent months. Recently released and updated ovens have included features like greater energy savings, shorter turnaround time and wireless remote monitoring, sometimes those provided by component subcontractors.

Snack and bakery companies want mixers that are easier to program and control, simpler to clean, more energy efficient, and well-tailored to their particular applications—and they expect equipment manufacturers to consult with them upfront to find the best fit.