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.

The latest product handling equipment, cartoners, case erectors and packers, loaders and palletizers, features maximum flexibility in terms of product handling and packaging styles, which is good news for bakery and snack producers.

The strategic Bakery Industry Forum (BIF) within the Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA) recently has taken on the task of developing an Overall Risk Assessment (ORA) checklist to help address a comprehensive list of aspects related to grain-based product manufacturing

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.

X-ray, metal detection, checkweighing and vision systems continue to advance, offering bakery and snack producers many ways to improve their quality control programs. Today's sophisticated inspection equipment can detect smaller foreign objects, reduce false rejects, and handle a wider range of products to assure maximum food safety along with higher productivity.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is extremely useful for snack and bakery companies, including its ability to track ingredients and other tasks, thereby making companies more efficient.

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.

The 2019 International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), the most comprehensive event in the Western Hemisphere for the grain-based food industry, recently wrapped up its largest show to date in Las Vegas.