BISCUIT AND COOKIE PRODUCTION particular biscuit, the technology has not


solved the manufacturer s actual pr blem. The value of


controll


testing is thereforefore considerable. It allowsows manufacturers t explore a differe


to r ntent


proce ss without immediately committing an operating production line to an unproven configuration.


Scale meets precision The other side of the equation is output. At Mayfair, a Pakistani biscuit manufacturer, GEA’s latest production line illustrates how precision and scale can coexist. GEA’s 2026 account of the partnership describes a soft-dough biscuit line incorporating dual wire-cut extruders and a 129-metre tunnel oven with a 1,500mm steel band. The line is reported to produce 12,000 cookies per minute, or around 750,000 pieces per hour. The technical challenge is particularly


interesting because the dough is small, sticky and delicate. Once deposited, it cannot be touched again, meaning that accurate placement and synchronisation are essential. Paolo Betto, Application Manager at GEA Bakery, describes the installation as an example of the engineering and automation required to manage this kind of production. Matteo Pasquali, also an Application Manager at GEA Bakery, similarly points to the precision required when running a high- speed line with delicate dough. Riaz Ali Anjum, Director Technical


Operations at Mayfair, says the company’s production volumes require machinery capable of


delivering endurance and


reliability, while Khurram Zia, CEO of Mayfair, describes the company’s relationship with GEA as part of its approach to developing products and production capability at scale.


Reducing the cost of change Another thread running through the latest developments is cleaning. For manufacturers producing multiple products, downtime is not limited to scheduled maintenance. Product changes can require equipment to be opened, components removed and surfaces cleaned before the next recipe can begin. Bühler’s RotaMold Max Smart addresses this directly through components designed for easier removal during cleaning and maintenance. Its TurbuBake Smart oven similarly incorporates changes intended to improve chamber


accessibility and reduce cleaning time. RBS also placed changeover efficiency at


the centre of its September 2026 expansion. By separating applications across three pilot lines, it expects to reduce equipment changeovers and increase the number of customer trials that can be accommodated. Production flexibility has to be measured in time as well as capability. A machine that can make five different products but takes an hour to prepare for each change may offer considerably less practical flexibility than one that can transition efficiently between a smaller number of products.


& Innovation Centre. Its September investment expands the facility’s capacity for product development trials and equipment testing, while the company says customers can use the centre to develop products, optimise processes, address manufacturing challenges and prepare for commercial-scale production. That matters because the industry’s


innovation cycle is changing. Mintel’s 2026 global research highlights opportunities around fibre, sensory experiences, generational needs and new approaches to chocolate biscuits, including alternatives to conventional cocoa. Those developments may involve


PRODUCTION FLEXIBILITY HAS TO BE MEASURED IN TIME AS WELL AS CAPABILITY


From line to development platform Perhaps the most significant shift is that production technology is increasingly becoming part of the product-development process. GEA’s Bakery Experience Centre in Verona is a good example. In its March 2026 discussion, Antonini describes customers using pilot equipment to develop products and validate recipes, process parameters and thermal profiles under industrial conditions. The facility allows manufacturers to


establish whether a product and process work together before transferring them into a factory environment. RBS takes a similar approach through its Science


different ingredients, dough characteristics, textures and processing requirements. The production line therefore has to become part of the answer to product innovation rather than a constraint imposed after the product has been developed.


The next generation The biscuit line of the future is unlikely to be defined by one piece of technology. Instead, the direction emerging from the latest 2026 developments is towards systems that can respond to several pressures simultaneously: product variety, development speed, energy consumption, hygiene, consistency and production scale. Bühler’s latest biscuit technologies


combine forming, depositing and baking developments around flexibility and operational efficiency. GEA is approaching the same challenge through electric baking, configurable thermal systems and application testing. RBS is addressing it through flexible forming technology and greater pilot-scale capacity for product development. The market pressures identified by Mintel


make the reason clear. Consumers are not necessarily asking manufacturers simply for more biscuits; they are responding to texture, occasion, nutritional cues, indulgence and new product ideas. For manufacturers, the engineering challenge is turning that variety into products that can still be made consistently and profitably at industrial scale. That makes flexibility less of a feature and more of a philosophy for line design.


cturer’s actu olled


lled tual p oblem.prob


Baking oven TurbuBake Smart for biscuit and cookies: new gas IFC tunnel oven that combines cost efficiency with improved energy performance and ease of use


AND COOKIE PRODUCTION he technology has not


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


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