Fedima, the Federation of European Manufacturers and Suppliers of Ingredients to the Bakery, Confectionery and Patisserie Industries, held its three-day General Assembly in Bordeaux on 12–14 May 2026, bringing together members from 13 national associations.

On 12 May, delegates elected a new Board comprising Christof Crone (BZV), Sébastien Jollet (SYFAB), Gemma Auleda (FEDIMA Spain), Christian Skulte (ASSITOL), David Amos (ABIM), Peter Verhagen (NEBAFA), Jérôme Lebriez (Lesaffre), Cristina Piñol (AB Mauri), Juan-Carlos Puente (Zeelandia), Carine Chincholle (CSM Ingredients), and Enric Valls (Puratos). Mehmet Duruk (GIDALBIL), Lluís Borrell (Dawn Foods) and Rolf Ahdell (Orkla Food Ingredients) were elected as co-opted members.

The Board holds a three-year renewable mandate.

The following day, the newly elected Board appointed its officers. Enric Valls of Puratos takes the presidency, with Carine Chincholle of CSM Ingredients and Cristina Piñol of AB Mauri appointed as Vice-Presidents and Christian Skulte of ASSITOL as Treasurer. All mandates run for three years, in line with the Board term.

Valls set out his agenda in clear terms. Addressing the gathered members, he said the federation must serve as "a strong, united and influential voice for the bakery and ingredients sector at European level" and pointed to two specific vehicles for that ambition: the FEDIMA Manifesto and the Bread Initiative, both aimed at uniting the value chain from ingredient suppliers to bakers for coordinated engagement in Brussels.

His priorities centre on science-based regulation, simplification of the EU legislative framework, sustainability and competitiveness. "Our objective is clear: a more coherent and harmonised European framework that reduces unnecessary complexity and unlocks innovation, while safeguarding the essential role of our products in society," he said.

Valls also underlined the broader cultural and nutritional case for the sector's recognition in EU policymaking, noting that bread and bakery products are "fundamental to Europe's nutrition, culture and social fabric."

The Assembly also marked the close of the previous Board's term. Outgoing President Thomas Lesaffre, who served three years as president and eight years as a board member in total, addressed members ahead of the handover. He expressed confidence in the federation's direction: "I am confident about the future of Fedima, which is more than ever recognised as a key player in the baking value chain."

Outgoing Vice-President Juan-Carlos Puente and outgoing Treasurer Enric Valls, now elevated to the presidency, were also thanked for their contributions.

The next General Assembly date will be announced in due course. Fedima represents more than 27,000 direct employees across Europe and approximately €7.8 billion in annual turnover.