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Manufacturing

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Funding & investment

Barilla Opens $25 Million Innovation Centre in Parma

Barilla Group has opened its $25 million Barilla Innovation & Technology Experience (BITE) in Parma, Italy, spanning 150,000 square feet. The facility employs 200 professionals developing bakery, pasta and sauce products using AI-driven sensors, 3D printing and sensory research. BITE operates 84 partnerships with international universities and maintains 28 startup collaborations focused on sustainable agriculture and food technology.

Events

Italian Machinery Exports to UAE Reach €161m in First Seven Months of 2025

Italian packaging and food processing machinery exports to the UAE reached €161 million in the first seven months of 2025, with food processing equipment up 87.5% year-on-year. Italy now holds over one-third market share in both sectors as 252 Italian companies prepare for Gulfood Manufacturing in Dubai.

Collaboration

AB Mauri and Nutris Advance Fava Bean Application Development

AB Mauri and Nutris have formed a technical partnership to develop fava bean protein and starch ingredients for industrial bakery applications in the UK and Ireland. The collaboration utilises Nutris's 45,000-tonne Croatian processing facility to fractionate fava beans into functional ingredients for commercial-scale bakery production, with development trials scheduled across multiple product categories in 2025.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Good News for Roberts Bakery and their staff

Frank Roberts & Sons Limited has been acquired by Boparan Private Office securing the future of the 138-year-old Northwich bakery and preserving 433 jobs.

Business

Roberts Bakery in Talks with Potential Partners as Administrator Notice Filed

Roberts Bakery files Notice of Intention to Appoint Administrators whilst in talks with potential partners. The Cheshire bakery producing 3.5m loaves weekly faces challenges from fire damage, cost inflation and market shifts towards artisan products.

New products

Northern Ireland Bakeries Secure Tesco Listings with 31 New Product Lines

Tesco Northern Ireland adds 31 bakery products from six regional suppliers including Irwin's Bakery, Genesis Bakery, and Holmes Bakery. The expansion follows 11% year-on-year growth in local cake category sales, with partnerships generating over £4 million annually for some suppliers.

Funding & investment

Fermentation technologies could add £10bn to UK economy by 2050, research finds

Innovative methods of producing food through fermentation could add nearly £10 billion to the UK economy by 2050, according to new analysis.

Plant-based

Artisan Baker Scales Plant-Based Production with New Loaf Launch

Swindon-based Pipp & Co expands beyond doughnuts with vegan banana walnut loaf, producing 25,000+ units weekly. SALSA-certified bakery demonstrates commercial viability of plant-based range expansion for industrial bakers.

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