Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh bread and sweet pastries? While it’s clear that consumer tastes are evolving, the baked goods industry is as popular as ever and changing right alongside it.
At FPE, we’re here to supply you with the food processing equipment you need to optimise your bakery food business and meet increased consumer demand. Read on to see how we can help.
Overview
- Baked goods industry trends
- How the food processing industry is adapting
- Processing equipment for baked goods suppliers
- FAQs
Baked goods industry trends
What do par-baked/frozen baked goods, artisanal breads and vegan desserts have in common? They’re all currently changing the face of the baked goods industry.
Longer shelf life & par-baked goods
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers are opting for products that last longer so they don’t have to go to the supermarket as often. They also want to be able to keep stock of some of these products in case supply diminishes. This has resulted in an increase in bake-at-home products, which are either fully frozen or par-baked (which means they’re partially cooked and then frozen).
With the associated supply chain issues, some supermarkets are also getting sourdough breads fully cooked, then blast frozen (not par-baked) and thawed for sale.
Artisanal & sourdough breads
It’s no surprise that health is at the top of the agenda for many consumers nowadays. This has meant that artisanal, wholemeal and seeded breads have risen in popularity, while traditional white bread has seen a decrease.
Consumers are also looking for bread and cake options that are high in protein and fibre, low in sugar and additives, and that are nutrient dense.
Vegan bakery products
Vegan desserts and bakery products have been around for a while in Australia, but as more and more consumers turn to alternative diets, they continue to grow in popularity. This has meant that it’s not only speciality bakeries offering these baked goods and treats, but supermarkets too.
Learn more: plant based industry
Baked goods for all dietary requirements
Last but not least, there has been an increase in the number of options for people with dietary requirements. In supermarkets especially, you’ll see more gluten-free cakes and pastries, breads and sweet rolls.
How the food processing industry is adapting
As you can see, the bakery industry is constantly evolving. But if a bakery or baked good manufacturer isn’t changing as well, they’ll fall by the wayside. That’s why we spoke to Roberto Cardone from Cucina Classica to get insight into how they’re adapting:
“We are needing to find ways to manufacture fresh, high quality food with longer shelf life, to use the best sustainable practises and packaging, and to manufacture with as many local and Australian ingredients as possible.
Consumers are also demanding higher food experiences from their supermarket. As manufacturers, we are needing to put our best foot forward in creating these experiences through constant innovation and being at the cutting edge of product trends.”
Roberto Cardone
CEO/BDM Managing Director
Cucina Classica
Because of the increase in demand, manufacturers are also looking to optimise their production line. Boulangerie St-Donat, a Canadian manufacturer of authentic pies, cakes and pastries, did this with the Eagle Pack 320 Pro. With the number of baked goods they produce every day, it was essential they improved their food quality assurance & traceability. Learn more: X-Ray Inspection Case Study: Boulangerie St-Donat
Processing equipment for baked goods suppliers
FPE supplies best-in-class solutions for baked goods producers in Australia and New Zealand – from automatic tempering machines to thaw frozen berries, to pallet washers.
| PROCESSING ACTIVITY | MANUFACTURER | USAGE EXAMPLES |
| Tempering/thawing | AMTek Microwave | Thawing frozen berries or other product for processing or cooking |
| Blending | BCH | Blending dry cake mixes or fillings for pastries |
| Slicing | Magurit | Slicing or dicing frozen blocks |
| Can opening | DC Norris | Opening cans of fruit or vegetables |
| HACCP compliance and food quality assurance | Eagle PI | Contaminant detection in unprocessed and finished product |
| Production hygiene | Elpress | Hand and boot sanitisation for workers
Pallet and crate washing |
| Material handling | SYSPAL | Sanitising conveyors to sanitise packaged product between processing areas
Operator-safe machines for mixing, tipping, washing, weighing and stacking Euro bins of product |
So if you’re a food producer in Australia, trust FPE. For equipment, maintenance and more, we’re the leading provider in Australia and New Zealand. Contact us today on 1800 882 549 in Australia and 0800 100 003 in New Zealand to discuss your business needs.
FAQs
How big is the baking industry?
In Australia, the baked good industry currently has a market size of $4 billion.
Is the bakery industry growing?
Absolutely. The baked goods industry is forecast to grow over the next five years, especially as consumers continue to buy high-quality, freshly baked bread instead of factory-produced products.
In saying this, local and artisan bakeries are encountering rising competition from supermarkets with in-store bakeries as they can offer similar products, but at more competitive prices.
What is new in the bakery industry?
The latest craze in the baked goods industry is hybrid products! These are where you add a unique twist to a classic baked good, such as combining a croissant and muffin to create a Cruffin, or a doughnut and croissant to make a Cronut. The newest inventions have been the Cretzel (which is a pretzel and croissant), a Macaringue (a macaron and meringue), and lastly a Croffle (croissant and waffle).
