Lesaffre, a major player in fermentation and microorganisms, has expanded its Baking Center in Shanghai with the installation of new state-of-the-art industrial production lines, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and customer collaboration across the Asia-Pacific region.

The upgraded facility is part of Lesaffre’s global network of applied science centres and is designed to provide tailored technical support to industrial baking customers in China and the wider region. The centre will support customers with custom-formulated improvers, sensory evaluation, flour analysis and application-driven product development.

The enhanced Baking Center enables customers and technical teams to co-develop and test a wide range of bakery products under real industrial conditions.

“This is a significant milestone in Lesaffre’s commitment to deepening its roots in the Asia-Pacific region and accelerating innovation across the industrial baking community,” said Timothé Dupont, president of Lesaffre’s Asia-Pacific breadmaking region.

“Our vision is for this Baking Center to be a hub where our experts collaborate with clients across Asia-Pacific to drive innovation in baking. The establishment of an Industrial Baking Center marks a deep integration of technological innovation and consumer demand, significantly contributing to the continuous upgrading of the industrial baking sector.”

Equipped with complete industrial-grade production lines developed in partnership with equipment suppliers AMF Bakery Systems and Multivac Group, the Asia-Pacific Industrial Baking Center serves as a bridge between research and development and full-scale manufacturing.

The facility allows industrial bakers to validate formulations, processes and equipment performance prior to commercialisation, reducing risk and accelerating time to market.

Jerome Vanachter, general manager of Lesaffre Greater China, added: “With the strong support of our global equipment partners, we can now host industrial customers and address innovation challenges together. This platform enables our customers in China to conduct more thorough testing and optimisation before mass production, without disrupting daily operations, ultimately improving product development efficiency and success rates.”

Lesaffre has opened 53 Baking Centers worldwide since launching the concept in France in 1974. The Shanghai facility is the second industrial baking centre within the group dedicated specifically to serving industrial clients, following the first, which is based in Vienna, Austria.

“The Baking Center is a pioneering concept created to meet the evolving needs of bakery customers and has become a global reference in baking fermentation,” said Laurent Soupiron, director of Lesaffre’s Baking Centers network. “With this cutting-edge facility, we are better equipped to address the evolving challenges of our industrial partners, from technical innovation to new consumption models, while remaining close to our customers both geographically and in our daily practices.”