Fedima members and the wider bakery industry network gathered in Istanbul to discuss drivers of change in the sector and the industry’s priorities in Istanbul, at the annual General Assembly (September 18-20). Key conversation topics revolved around sustainability, innovative solutions, AI in baking, challenges, and European bread market trends.
The three-day event brought together Fedima members from across the European continent, and a variety of key baking industry players to discuss the challenges faced by the sector and collaborate on shared goals.
The event was hosted by Fedima Turkish member association GIDABIL and sponsored by TraceGains, Kerry, Novonesis, Aromsa, and the Welsh Government. Over 100 participants joined, including representatives from Fedima’s 13 national member associations across Europe, guests from partner organizations, external speakers, and local figures of the Turkish bakery sector.
Dr. Mehmet Çetin Duruk, President of GIDABIL, said: “In line with Turkey’s renowned tradition of hospitality, it was a great pleasure and honor to welcome our fellow members and guests on the banks of the Bosphorus. Turkey is the leading market for bread consumption per capita in Europe, which makes Istanbul the perfect setting for this year’s Fedima General Assembly focused on sharing best practices among the Fedima community. It was truly inspiring to see great interest in how the peculiarities of our country can translate into actionable insights benefiting the wider European market”.
During three days of topical committee meetings, thematic sessions, a gala evening, and a field visit to Istanbul’s Halk Ekmek bread production site, the Fedima General Assembly tackled several critical topics for the bread ingredients and wider bakery sector.
The path to sustainability in the sector took center stage.
On the agenda were also talks on nutrition and flavors, and improving supplier management and compliance tracking to meet safety standards.
The potential of new technology developments, such as AI, to drive product innovation was also analyzed.
“I am delighted to see such a large participation to our General Assembly, within Fedima’s membership and beyond. The most crucial takeaway from this event is that we must continue to invest in strengthening our cooperation with all actors of the bakery value chain to address the common challenges that the entire European bread and pastry sector faces,” shared Thomas Lesaffre, the President of Fedima.
Photos: Fedima
