MORNING GOODS AND PASTRIES


innovation is becoming increasingly sophisticated. For morning goods, freshness has always been part of the proposition. Yet modern retail distribution makes “fresh” a complicated technical concept. Products may be produced centrally, frozen, transported, thawed or held for several days before consumption. Corbion’s September 2026 launch of


Verdad Essence WH150 illustrates how manufacturers are approaching this challenge. The cultured wheat solution is designed to provide natural mould inhibition while maintaining taste and texture. Lonneke van Dijk, Global Business


Director, Bakery at Corbion, says the objective is to provide preservation “while supporting the product experience consumers expect.” The modern preservation conversation


is increasingly less about simply preventing spoilage and more about protecting the sensory identity of the product. If a morning bun remains safe but loses its softness, or a filled pastry develops an undesirable texture, it has failed from a consumer perspective even if it has technically achieved its shelf-life target. Corbion is also placing greater emphasis


on formulation support and predictive modelling, allowing manufacturers to assess preservation strategies earlier in product development. As van Dijk puts it: “The value we bring


goes beyond the ingredient itself.” That is indicative of a broader shift


across the supply chain. Ingredient suppliers are increasingly becoming technical partners in product development, helping manufacturers understand how an ingredient behaves not just in a recipe, but within an entire production process.


Fermentation under the microscope In May 2026, Lesaffre published research examining what happens to baker’s yeast during the earliest stages of baking. Research conducted with KU Leuven found that yeast remains significantly active as dough enters the oven, providing new insight into oven spring and the way different yeast strains can influence development. The finding is a reminder that even one


of the bakery industry’s oldest ingredients is still offering new technical questions. For morning goods, fermentation is


particularly important because enriched doughs are inherently more demanding. Fat, sugar, eggs and other ingredients


influence dough development and yeast activity, while laminated products add further complexity through their temperature-sensitive layers. Lesaffre’s work suggests that


manufacturers may increasingly look at yeast not simply as a standardised leavening component, but as a tool for controlling product characteristics. That interest is reinforced by the


company’s work in sourdough and fermentation. In February, Lesaffre presented research on cassava sourdough developed in Brazil, exploring how fermentation could produce distinctive sensory characteristics in a gluten-free format. The broader movement towards


fermentation also intersects with consumer interest in authenticity and clean-label formulation. Lesaffre Deputy CEO and Group Chief Operating Officer Jean-Philippe Poulin described baker’s yeast in July as “the unseen force behind bread”, while noting that it shapes “flavor, texture, and nutrition”. For manufacturers, that means


fermentation is becoming part of the product story as well as the production process.


The line has to catch up All of these developments eventually arrive at the factory floor. The industrial pastry line is being asked


to do considerably more than produce large volumes of a single standardised product. It must handle multiple recipes, formats, fillings, toppings and production schedules, while keeping waste and changeover times under control. Royal Kaak’s 2026 developments around


its DrieM sheeting lines illustrate this direction. The company has introduced new automation, hygiene and flexibility features, including an Easy Access Portioner designed to simplify cleaning and maintenance. It is an apparently modest engineering


development, but it reflects the wider pressure on bakery equipment: efficiency is no longer simply about speed. Hygiene, accessibility, changeover,


flexibility and operator interaction all contribute to whether a line can respond economically to a more fragmented product mix. Royal Kaak has also been exploring


generative AI as a means of understanding production lines and creating smarter insights around efficiency and transparency.


The development of intelligent equipment


is particularly relevant to morning goods because the products themselves are becoming more complicated. A line producing a single conventional


roll can be optimised around repetition. A line producing a succession of enriched buns, filled pastries and laminated products requires much greater adaptability. This is where digitalisation begins to


become practical rather than fashionable. If a production system can detect variation, monitor process conditions and provide data to operators, it can help protect the narrow margins that often separate a visually perfect pastry from an expensive batch of waste.


Precision in the layers For laminated products, the challenge becomes even more exacting. AMF Bakery Systems’ croissant production


systems demonstrate how many individual stages have to work together: mixing and dough handling, sheeting and laminating, depositing and forming, proofing, baking, cooling, freezing and packaging. Its complete croissant systems are


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


Image courtesy of Dawn Foods


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