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.

Sanitary facility design is very important for snack and bakery companies, especially those with legacy facilities. Facility design can help streamline the effectiveness and efficiency of regular sanitary procedures, as well.

In every level of snack and bakery production, allergen control is of utmost importance. Training operations staff on best practices is vital, and systems to keep personnel continually on track are also essential.

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.

Pest prevention is extremely important for snack and bakery facilities; any and all pests that get into product then make that product unusable, and can cost thousands in product recalls.

Opportunities to improve snack and bakery facility food safety continually arise, whether related to sanitation and washing systems, packaging reliability, keeping an eye on best practices for managing carcinogens, or analyzing new technology that can help provide a safer work environment.

Lubrication is critical to equipment functionality and longevity. And in food production environments like snack and bakery facilities, it's also imperative that lubricants do not contaminate products and pose a health hazard.

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.

Cleaning up the label of baked goods is more than just ingredients. If you're going to join the clean-label, natural baking trend, here's what you need to know about the non-ingredient side of things.