Manufacturing
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.









