From April 9th to 11th, industry professionals gathered in Milano Marittima, Italy, for the Biscuit People Conference 2025. Bringing together biscuit manufacturers, suppliers, and consultants, the event served as a hub for exchanging ideas, strengthening connections, and exploring new industry advancements
The conference kicked off on April 8th at the Hotel Palace with an informal welcome evening. Over drinks, attendees had the chance to meet, reconnect, and ease into the event in a relaxed setting before the sessions officially began.
April 9th was dedicated to biscuit manufacturers, opening with a smooth registration process and a welcome speech to introduce the day's agenda. Throughout the day, participants engaged in insightful presentations and discussions, pausing for coffee breaks and lunch to continue conversations and share experiences.
On April 10th, the conference split into two focused sessions—one highlighting ingredient innovations and the other showcasing the latest developments in equipment. Experts shared their insights on sustainability, technological advancements, and shifting consumer trends, sparking thought-provoking discussions.
Beyond the conference halls, participants had the chance to experience the charm of Milano Marittima. The event wrapped up with an exclusive visit to the CEPI factory, where attendees got a firsthand look at their operations and technology.
We had the privilege of hosting experts from 52 companies worldwide, bringing a broad spectrum of industry knowledge to the conference:
- AAK, Sweden
- Adma International Ltd, Rwanda
- Ammeraal Beltech, Italy
- Anéolia, France
- Anton paar Italia, Italy
- Apinox, Italy
- Atlantic Grupa, Serbia
- Baker Perkins, UK
- Bakery Academy, Netherlands
- Balchem, Netherlands
- BENEO, Germany
- Berndorf Band, Austria
- Biscuit International, France
- CAOBISCO, Belgium
- Cartesio Packaging Srl, Italy
- CEPI, Italy
- Cerealto, Spain
- Consolidated Biscuit Co. Ltd., Malta
- DSM - Firmenich, Netherlands
- E.J. Papadopoulou, Greece
- Errebi Technology, Italy
- FoodFakty, Poland
- GEA, Italy
- GOE, USA
- Grupo Bimbo, Mexico
- Grupo Bimbo Global, Romania
- Habasit International AG, Switzerland
- Handyware, China
- Hershey's, USA
- HUG AG, Switzerland
- ICA Packaging Machines, Italy
- Integra Pro, Hungary
- INTRALOX, Netherlands
- IPCO, Netherlands
- Kemin Food Technologies EMEA, Italy
- Kerry, Ireland
- Koestlin, Croatia
- Laser SRL, Italy
- National Brands Limited, South Africa
- Novozymes, Denmark
- Numidia BV, Netherlands
- Nutrition & Santé, France
- Packint, Italy
- Padovani SRL, Italy
- PFM, Italy
- Pladis, UK
- Reading Bakery Systems, USA
- SA Corman, Belgium
- Steinhaus, Germany
- SternEnzym, Germany
- Syntegon, Switzerland
- Tirlan, Ireland
Insights from Our Speakers and Presentations
As mentioned earlier, the conference's opening day centered around biscuit manufacturers, offering them a dedicated space to exchange ideas, tackle industry challenges, and gain valuable insights. The following day shifted the spotlight to ingredient and equipment suppliers, highlighting the latest innovations and technological advancements driving the sector forward.
Taking a closer look at the first day’s sessions, industry experts shared their knowledge, delving into emerging trends, key challenges, and exciting opportunities shaping the future of biscuit production.
Eleonora holds a Bachelor degree in Human Nutrition obtained at Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata” and a Master degree in Molecular Nutrition and Food Toxicology obtained at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. After different internships and projects, she landed at EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, for one year, where she worked as a trainee in the food additives team.
Regulatory Landscape and Future Challenges for the Biscuit Sector - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
2. Maria Markantoni, E.J.Papadopoulou
With over 15 years of experience in R&D and product innovation, Maria is the R&D Sensory & Pilot Manager at E.J. Papadopoulos SA. As an expert in sensory management, Maria specializes in leading sensory projects, managing and training sensory panels, and implementing advanced protocols for data collection and analysis.
Behind the Scenes of Taste: The Transformative Journey of the Sensory Lab at EJ Papadopoulos SA - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
3. Rafael Fernandes, Cerealto
With more than 18 years of experience in the food industry, Rafael Fernandes is Head of R&D at Cerealto, a global company in the agri-food sector that is dedicated to the development and manufacture of cereal derivatives products for retail and food brand companies.
Process Control in Biscuit Manufacturing - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
4. Nataša Šarčević, Atlantic Grupa
Nataša Šarčević is a marketing expert, experienced in the development and implementation of marketing strategies adapted to local and regional markets in the FMCG category. In a career covering more than 20 years, she has built broad expertise in creative development and production of integrated marketing campaigns, as well as in development of successful product innovation that are rejuvenating brands and taking business to new growth areas.
The Untold Story About the Innovation - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
5. Roberto Bertolazzi, National Brands Limited
My career began in the bread industry before expanding into a broad spectrum of food production. As Technical Executive at NBL, I oversee the manufacturing of biscuits, crackers, fried and extruded snacks, potato and maize chips, instant and premium coffee, spray-dried non-dairy creamers, and tea blending and packaging operations.
Mixing Curves and Ingredients Functionality for Semi-sweet Doughs - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
6. Lucio Cicerelli, Pladis
An enthusiastic professional working over 27years in baked snacks and confectionary industries, with R&D roles spanning in Manufacturing Excellence in Continuous Improvement, Front End Innovation contributing to many new product launches and New Ventures creating and launching new brands and explorative New Products.
Baking Mechanisms in Biscuit Manufacturing: A Short Introduction
On the second day, presentations took place in two separate conference halls, allowing attendees to choose sessions that best aligned with their interests. Let’s start by exploring the key insights shared in the ingredients track.
1. Isabel Trogh, BENEO
She has more than 20 years work experience in the food industry. She started her career as R&D Manager Patisserie Mixes, followed by R&D Manager Nutrition and later on moved to Product Manager Patisserie Mixes, all at Puratos Group (Belgium). Since January 2013, Isabel is working as Customer Technical Support Manager within the BENEO-Technology Center at BENEO in Belgium.
Solutions for Nutritional and Technical Improvements in Biscuits - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
2. Aoife Herlihy, Tirlan
Aoife Herlihy manages the marketing strategy and activities for the butter and cheese portfolio at Tirlán, a leading dairy and nutrition business. With a strong background in food marketing,
Solving Manufactures Challenges in Bakery Information - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
3. Alberto Rosado, AAK
Currently, as the Global Customer Innovation Manager for Bakery at AAK Belgium, Alberto brings his wealth of experience to the global stage. AAK, renowned for its expertise in fats and oils, provides the perfect platform for Alberto to release his creativity and drive transformative solutions.
ChocoBakery: Making Better PlantBased Fats and Oils - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
4. Priscila Honorati, Kemin Food Technologies EMEA
Based in Parma, Italy, Priscila is part of the Marketing Team at Kemin Food Technologies, one of the Business Units of Kemin Industries. Dynamic and customer-driven, and passionate about science, Priscila holds a degree in Food Engineering and a Master’s in Business Management.
OLESSENCE – The Next Generation of Natural Solutions - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
5. Aliette Verel, Consultant
Consultant after 41 years’ experience of R&D teams management in Cereals Research and Development applied to baked cereal products: breads, biscuits, cookies and pastries, in international companies (Danone, Kraft Foods, Mondelez)
Wholegrain: Properties and Use in Biscuits - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
6. Eric Schaller, Aneolia
Since 1993 he has designed innovative instrumentation for packaging process control, with close to 30 years of expertise in hermeticity of packages with or without modified atmosphere processed, and achieved many realizations in confectionery and biscuit industry sector.
How to Keep Biscuit’s Promises? – Influence of Packaging Hermeticity - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
7. Alfredo Pimper, Consultant
Alfredo is an old biscuit man working for 40 years with i.e. Danone and Mondelez. After starting in production, he focused on the development of new biscuits and finally in the last 15 years of his career worked in procurement of cereals in Europe.
Dairy Proteins in Biscuits: Enhancing Texture, Nutrition, and Functionality - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
8. Matthew May, Kerry
Matthew is a trained baker with 30+ years of experience in the baking industry, primarily in technical sales and application roles. He is now responsible for business planning and commercial leadership.
Rising Up: Kerry's FutureLens Anticipates the Future of Bakery - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
Now, let’s turn our attention to the other conference hall, where the spotlight was on equipment.
1. Igor Riccardi, CEPI
He has a two decades experience in working with global food markets and coordinating with engineering and technical teams to develop customized bulk-handling solutions. His customer-first approach prioritizes the optimization rather than subversion of the working model of food manufacturers.
Beyond Sugar and Flour – Bulk-Handling for All Ingredients - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
Daniel is Global Product Manager at Syntegon. He started his packaging curriculum in the pharmaceutical industry. Afterwards, he worked for more than ten years for a material manufacturer where he was responsible for packaging material science and innovations. In 2011, Daniel joined Syntegon, formerly Bosch, and is responsible for the cookies and crackers packaging systems portfolio
Is Your Packaging Fit for Purpose?
3. Thorleif Svanfeldt Brokke, Berndorf Band
Since 1999: Director, Global Sales and Service at Berndorf Band for Europe and the Americas; 1994 – 1999: Weibull Consulting A/S, Oslo: Export consultant; 1991 – 1993: Lift Verkaufsgeräte GmbH, Vienna and Oslo: Marketing coordinator
The Solid Steel Belt in the Bake Oven - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
4. Stefano Tondini, Habasit International AG
With over 30 years of expertise in conveyor and process belts, I specialize in streamlining processes and applications within the Bakery and Confectionery industries. My role centers on deeply understanding customer challenges, identifying their pain points, and delivering tailored solutions to address their needs effectively.
From Dough to Biscuits: Rotary Molder Belt Performance, Challenges & Solutions - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
5. Lorenzo Datei, Packint
In 2014 he founded Packint’s American branch with a complete pilot plant near NYC. Lorenzo has been a lecturer in several institutions and universities for over 10 years, always with his favourite topic and all of its applications and problems: chocolate.
The Unique Case Study of a Bakery With Chocolate: One Solution for Three Problems - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
6. David Welch, Reading Bakery Systems
David Welch joined RBS in 2024 as the European Sales Manager and brings more than twenty years of engineering experience in biscuit and snack production. In his role, David is responsible for selling RBS equipment and helping direct efforts across the region.
Considerations When Designing a Cookie and Cracker Production Line - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
7. Franca Luppi, Errebi Technology
In 1990, after graduating at Bologna University with the dream of becoming a school teacher, Franca Luppi started as a translator at Errebi Technology in 1991, and immediately got in touch with the amazing world of biscuits. Since a couple of decades she has been responsible for global market at Errebi Technology.
What’s Going On in the Field of Rotary Moulding Rollers for Soft Biscuits? - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
8. Massimiliano Annoni, GEA
Massimiliano is dedicated to enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of GEA Bakery Service. His aim is to refine effective and innovative processes and tools to help customers reduce machine downtime, minimize waste, optimize resources, increase plant safety, and preserve value over time. “Proper maintenance of our technology ensures maintaining the high-quality levels of the finished product that make our customers unique.”
Lifecycle Experience: Update on Innovative Service and Digitalization for Bakery Line Efficiency and Uptime - DOWNLOAD PRESENTATION
CEPI Factory Visit: A Behind-the-Scenes Experience
To conclude the Biscuit People Conference 2025, participants had the exclusive opportunity to visit the CEPI factory. This tour provided a firsthand look at CEPI’s advanced systems for ingredient handling and storage, showcasing their commitment to innovation and efficiency. Attendees explored the facility, gaining insights into the latest technological advancements and sustainable practices shaping modern production processes. The visit offered a valuable chance to see industry-leading solutions in action while engaging in discussions with CEPI experts.
A Perfect Blend of Business and Leisure
The Biscuit People Conference isn’t just about industry insights—it’s also an opportunity to experience the local culture and enjoy time together outside the conference halls. After the first day’s sessions, we explored the historic city of Ravenna, taking in its rich heritage before heading to Mercato Coperto for a delightful evening filled with great food and conversation. On the second night, we gathered for a Gala Dinner at the hotel, where attendees enjoyed a refined dining experience in a relaxed setting.
Conference Sponsors
We hope you had a rewarding experience at the Biscuit People Conference 2025—gaining valuable insights, exchanging ideas, and building new connections within the industry. It was great to see so many professionals come together to share knowledge and explore the latest advancements in biscuit production. As we move forward, we look forward to continuing these conversations and collaborations. Be sure to mark your calendars for our next gathering in Recife, Brazil, from November 10-13, 2025. See you there!
Biscuit People Team
