IBIE 2022 Showcases New Opportunities for Gluten Free Baking
Despite almost three tumultuous years of a pandemic that created an uncertain market beset with supply and labor shortages, the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) 2022 in Las Vegas met and surpassed all expectations. The baking community arrived in force and ready to educate themselves and their peers on new products, solutions, and techniques in the kitchen.
The event is held every three years and this year it had an estimated 20,000 registered industry professionals in attendance, which was a 25% increase over the previous event held in 2019. Many attendees were eager to participate in demonstrations and meetings where they could renew acquaintances and conduct business in-person rather than virtually for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. (resource)
International attendance was barely affected by travel restrictions in certain parts of the world with a robust 27% of attendees from outside the United States. Bakers attended from Italy, Brazil, the Netherlands, Colombia, Germany, France, El Salvador, Australia, and more, but Canada and Mexico led with a 52% and 40% increase in baker registrations from the previous expo. (resource)
It looks like the baking industry is finally ready to overcome the difficulties of the pandemic and learn from the challenges it presented. This year’s expo proved the
Bakers had access to a number of educational competitions, sessions and demonstrations, including numerous booths that featured popular vegan and gluten-free recipes like the Espresso Black Bean Brownie Cookie offered in the botanicals portfolio of ADM. (resource)
Always a champion of innovation that serves the changing needs of baking professionals, the industry showed up in support of non-gluten lifestyles with about 70 vendors displaying products that ranged from gluten free flours to equipment specifically designed to bake gluten free foods. (resource)
When it came to ingredients, gluten free and shelf life were the hot topics. Vendors reaffirmed their commitment to clean, easily understandable labeling, more nutritious ingredients, better sourcing and increased supply chain stability, and of course sustainability. When asked about priorities, suppliers were quick to reply “all of the above”. (resource)
Companies are increasingly looking for ingredients that are environment-friendly at every level of the process, even going beyond simply having the right certifications. They are exploring regenerative agriculture for crops like rice, corn, soy, and wheat to preserve land integrity, as well as humane farming practices for some of the world’s most vulnerable crops like vanilla, palm, and cocoa.
If you want an irresistible non-gluten addition to your holiday table, consider making these rich and delicious recipes for:
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Looking ahead to 2025, IBIE plans to offer many more vendors and inspiration for new products and preparation methods, and new technologies for better efficiencies and operations.
The International Baking Industry Exposition 2025 will take place September 13-17, 2025, in Las Vegas. See you there!