IBA 2025 live: Lallemand discusses enzymes and indulgence in the future of baking
22 May 2025 | Lallemand Baking Solutions
At IBA 2025 in Dusseldorf, Germany, we speak to Steven Anderson, business director Europe at Lallemand Baking Solutions. We discuss the use of enzymes to meet consumer demands, achieving indulgence and health criteria, and the resurgence of bakery products amid low-carbohydrate diet trends.
Hi, we're live at IBA.
I'm joined by Steven Anderson from Lalamon.
How are you doing?
Hi, good, thank you.
Can you tell us a bit about what the company is doing at the show this year?
Yeah, sure.
So for us this year it's all about showing, people coming by and the industry, what we've got by way of, enzyme solutions and sourdough technology.
You know, they're really, really key functional ingredients for bacon.
So we want to make sure that people are aware of what we've got.
Brilliant.
Now, what would you say are the main trends that you're seeing in the industry at the moment?
Yeah, look, I think some of those sort of mega trends are still there.
They don't go away.
So, you know, those, those consumer trends towards, indulgence or clean label, they start to undermine what's the, industry, industry's doing.
Sustainability is really, really big.
That's something that's really key, just to make sure we're doing things as best we can from an environmental perspective, and then we've also got, , cost reduction, you know, that's, that's come down being, being efficient.
It's linked with sustainability, but there's also a cost element to that as.
So we're all about trying to make sure that there's solutions that cover those.
And, how are you doing that with your solutions?
Yeah, so the way we, we come across that is we really have a look at an overall approach.
So have a look at what the process is, have a look at what the formulation is, how can we optimize that?
And usually what we're doing there is how do we apply enzymes, how do we get the most out of the enzyme for functionality so that your process can be as efficient as as possible.
For example, we've got our bake time reduction solution, so that's enzyme clean label.
Allows you then to really optimize your process, so if you can reduce the amount of baking time, that gives you a lot of different things you can do.
So throughput increase, less energy per unit.
There are a lot of things that really, touch home with what the industry's facing at the moment.
Brilliant.
And what's the obstacle to spreading that in the industry and making it more available on the market?
Oh, look, I think there's, there's lots, you know, you've got, you've got plenty of industrial bakeries that, that have, have limitations on their line.
You've got sometimes then, er, capex er required.
There are all of those sorts of things where, you know, quality, as , you know, you wanna make damn sure that your quality's not going to be, undermined.
We, of course, we make sure of that, but.
You've just got to push all of that through er when you talk about these sorts of projects with customers, make sure that everything is covered.
And you mentioned rising costs, things of that nature.
Are there other big challenges that the industry is facing at the moment and how are you tackling them?
Yeah, so I think, one of the, it, it hasn't gone away, but I think post COVID, it, it's, it's really is there, and that is meeting consumer demands, you know, so, as I said, as I mentioned before, we see indulgence.
So if, if consumers are indulging, they want something that's, that's really indulgent, really, premium.
And so how do we allow with our solutions in order to make that?
So is that mouth feel, sweetness, softness, Sourdough flavors and aromas.
On the other hand, then you've got consumers that are way more health conscious and very, very savvy, really, really, , educated consumer base.
So how do we make sure that there is high fiber, all of the, enrichment of, of, of whole grains.
So, and they pose some, some process challenges as.
So it's making sure that we've got solutions that allow the manufacturers to be able to produce.
In those sorts of ways there's been a big trend over the last few years away from carbohydrates.
How would you say that you can bring consumers back towards bread-based products?
Yeah, look, I think there's that's, that's a decent trend, and again, educated consumers are looking at very health conscious, and what I say there is, is we need carbohydrates.
You need everything in moderation.
So like then you Can look at the indulgence and then it would be something like the portion size, for example.
So have a look at those little pieces that you can get throughout the day and the other part is then, the, the newer products that are coming out with, with higher fiber or lower sugar or lower fats, those sorts of things still incorporating carbohydrates, but in a, but in a more meaningful er and linked with all of the other er macro micronutrients as.
Right, so a resurgence in bakery products with new technologies.
Absolutely, as a baking industry we have to continue to evolve with what the consumer is looking at.
Yes, wheat, barley, and those sorts of, , carbohydrate-based products are sort of the basis, and, and we're, we're very, very happy to make sure we continue to ensure consumers are, we meet their requirements.
Brilliant, thank you so much.
Thank you.
