BISCUIT AND COOKIE PRODUCTION


depositing system. The company positioned the technologies around efficiency, ease of operation and greater production flexibility. Céline Vachet, Head of Product Management Biscuit at Bühler, says the new technologies are intended to combine “efficiency, flexibility, and ease of use”, while SoftDrop broadens the company’s offering to cover a wider range of depositing, wire- cutting and extrusion applications. The RotaMold Max Smart is designed


for continuous biscuit production at speeds of up to 40 metres per minute. Bühler says its 390mm die roller delivers consistent biscuit shape and size, with a coefficient of variation of 1% or less. The hopper, die roller and knife have also been designed for easier removal during cleaning and maintenance. Every product change involves


adjustments, cleaning and preparation, and those activities can quickly consume capacity on a high-volume line. Designing equipment so that these interventions are easier and faster can therefore have a direct effect on production availability.


Development without disruption Reading Bakery Systems has approached the same challenge from the product- development side. In September 2026, RBS announced the expansion of its Science & Innovation Centre with a third pilot production line. The new configuration separates pretzel and bread-snack development from the existing flexible snack line, allowing the latter to focus on sheeted products while a dedicated cookie line continues to handle rotary-moulded and wirecut cookies. RBS says reducing changeovers


between different trials will provide greater scheduling flexibility, accommodate more customers and shorten lead times. “Expanding the Science & Innovation Centre with a third pilot line allows us to work with more customers, reduce wait times for trials, and provide faster access to the technical expertise and resources needed to bring new ideas to market,” says Cameron Johnston, Senior Director of Innovation at RBS. The company’s CEO, Chip Czulada, adds that the investment reflects its aim to combine process expertise with the capabilities required to move new products into commercial production. It is a useful reminder that flexibility


New high-precision rotary molder for biscuit production designed for fast and continuous processing


does not necessarily mean asking one machine to do everything. Sometimes the more effective approach is to structure the production and development environment so that different applications can be tested without repeatedly disrupting another process.


Baking under pressure The oven presents another part of the equation. Baking determines many of the characteristics that consumers ultimately experience — colour, texture, moisture and bite — but it is also a major area of energy consumption. GEA’s E-Bake G2, highlighted at Interpack


2026, is a fully electric industrial oven designed for soft- and hard-dough cookies and crackers. GEA says the system can reduce energy consumption by up to 40% compared with its G1 gas model, while its modular construction can reduce installation time by up to 70%.


The system uses localised airflow control


and different heat-transfer configurations, allowing manufacturers to configure the oven around different baking requirements. GEA also says continuous side access and removable chamber bottoms facilitate cleaning and maintenance. Changing the heating system of an


established product requires confidence that the biscuit itself will remain consistent. GEA’s March 2026 discussion with Antonini gives a particularly relevant example. He explains that a manufacturer of an iconic biscuit is considering moving from gas ovens to GEA’s electric E-Bake technology, with the Bakery Experience Centre being used to test the product under industrial conditions and establish whether the change can be made without affecting its consistency. An oven may be more efficient on paper, but if its thermal characteristics cannot reproduce the precise profile required by a


Image source: Reading Bakery Systems


AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2026 • KENNEDY’S BAKERY PRODUCTION • 19


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