Evolving Consumer Expectations in the Bakery Sector
The industrial bakery landscape continues to transform as consumers seek healthier, sustainable options without compromising on sensory qualities. Recent market analysis indicates European bakery and snack manufacturers are increasingly balancing traditional products with innovations that address health-conscious, plant-based and environmentally sustainable preferences.
At the upcoming iba 2025 exhibition, several companies will showcase advancements in functional ingredients designed to meet these evolving demands. Among them, Loryma will present its range of wheat-based solutions at Booth 15 FOOD 6.
Addressing Current Industry Challenges
Nutritional Optimisation
Nutritional enhancement remains a significant focus for industrial bakers. Specialised wheat proteins and modified starches can improve nutritional profiles in both sweet and savoury applications. These ingredients enable manufacturers to increase protein content, boost fibre levels and reduce carbohydrates—all while maintaining familiar textures and flavours.
Practically speaking, these enhancements allow bakers to develop products that align with current dietary trends without requiring complete reformulation or new production processes.
Plant-Based Alternatives
The continued growth of plant-based diets presents both challenges and opportunities for industrial bakers. Technical innovations in wheat-derived stabilisers now offer alternatives to egg and milk ingredients. These plant-based solutions maintain the functional properties needed for successful industrial baking while addressing the increasing consumer demand for vegan options. Industrial bakers can use these ingredients to expand product lines without significant capital investment in new equipment or processes.
Texture and Appearance Considerations
While nutritional improvements are important, consumers still expect excellent sensory qualities from baked goods. Advanced wheat-based ingredients now offer solutions for longstanding technical challenges including seed adhesion, surface browning and shelf-life stability. These functional ingredients help address common production issues like inconsistent topping distribution or variable browning, which can impact product quality and consumer acceptance.
Manufacturing Efficiency Implications
Beyond consumer-facing qualities, functional wheat ingredients offer benefits for industrial manufacturing processes. New ingredient systems can improve dough stability, enhance process tolerance and ensure consistent product quality across large production runs.
For industrial bakers, these process improvements can translate to reduced waste, lower labour costs and improved production efficiency—important considerations in an industry with typically thin margins.
Research and Development Directions
Industry experts anticipate continued innovation in wheat-based ingredients. Research directions include enhancing functionality at lower inclusion rates, developing clean-label alternatives and creating ingredients that can withstand various processing conditions.
As Norbert Klein from Loryma notes,
"The bakery industry faces great opportunities in selected segments that can perfectly push the business. Sustained expansion requires agility in responding to consumer trends and regulations."
Industry Events and Knowledge Exchange
The iba 2025 exhibition will feature numerous presentations and demonstrations focusing on these developments. Attendees can gain insights into how these functional ingredients perform in various applications and manufacturing environments.
For industrial bakers looking to stay competitive, understanding these ingredient innovations and their practical applications will be essential for future product development strategies.
For comprehensive information about functional wheat ingredients and their applications in industrial baking, visit Hall 15 at iba 2025, where several companies will be showcasing their latest innovations.
