PRESS RELEASE
MARCQ-EN-BAROEUL – FRANCE – 15.12.2025
Lesaffre, a major player in fermentation and microorganisms for over 170 years, has strengthened its existing Baking Center™ in Shanghai with the addition of new state-of-the-art industrial production lines.
As a vital component of Lesaffre’s global applied science centers, this Baking Center™ leverages the company’s network of professional bakers and technical experts. By especially integrating the resources and expertise of Lesaffre China, it will provide tailored technical support and solutions to industrial clients for the Chinese market, including custom-formulated improvers, sensory analysis, and flour analysis to meet the unique needs of each customer.
This initiative provides important support for developing more efficient industrial innovation technology solutions. This new facility will enable the Baking Center’s bakers to explore new products with their clients, including buns, sandwich breads, laminated pastries, and high-hydration doughs like ciabatta and pinsa and to test them in real production conditions.
Equipped with complete industrial-grade production lines developed in strategic partnership with leading global equipment suppliers, the Asia-Pacific Industrial Baking Center™ creates a practical bridge between R&D and industrial-scale manufacturing.
“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. Our vision is for this Baking Center™ to be the hub where our experts collaborate with clients across all Asia-Pacific to drive innovation in baking. The establishment of an Industrial Baking Center™ in Asia Pacific marks a deep integration of technological innovation and consumer demand, which will significantly contribute to the continous upgrading process of the industrial baking sector” said Timothé Dupont, President of Lesaffre’s Asia-Pacific Breadmaking Region.
“With the great support from leading global equipment suppliers AMF Bakery Systems and MULTIVAC Group, this evolution now allows us to host industrial customers and tackle the challenge of innovation in baking together with them. We anticipate this platform will enable our customers in China to conduct more thorough testing and optimization prior to mass production, without disrupting daily operations, thereby improving product development efficiency and success rates,” said Jerome Vanachter, General Manager of Lesaffre Greater China.
Lesaffre has opened 53 Baking Centers™ worldwide since establishing the first one in France in 1974. The new Asia-Pacific industrial Baking Center™ is the second facility dedicated to serving industrial clients.
The Baking Center™ is a pioneering concept created to meet the evolving needs of bakery customers, now operating as a global reference in baking fermentation. Lesaffre has leveraged its expertise to serve customers through market insights, innovation, formulation, analysis, scientific support, and training. Over 300 technicians collaborate daily with customers as co-innovators to develop the baking solutions of the future.
“This is the second industrial Baking Center™ we have opened within the Group, the first being in Vienna. As we grow alongside our clients, we cultivate an unparalleled proximity, both geographically and in our practices. With this cutting-edge facility, we are empowered to address the evolving challenges of our industrial partners – from technical innovations to pioneering new ways that will redefine how we consume this essential, health-conscious staple.” said Laurent Soupiron, Group Baking Center Director at Lesaffre.
ABOUT LESAFFRE
A key global player in fermentation for more than a century, Lesaffre, with a 3 billion euros turnover, and established on all continents, counts 11,000 employees and 100 nationalities. On the strength of this experience and diversity, we work with customers, partners and researchers to find ever more relevant answers to the needs of food, health, naturalness and respect for our environment. Thus, every day, we explore and reveal the infinite potential of microorganisms.
To nourish 9 billion people, in a healthy way, in 2050 by making the most of our planet’s resources is a major and unprecedented issue. We believe that fermentation is one of the most promising answers to this challenge.
Lesaffre – Working together to better nourish and protect the planet
More information on www.lesaffre.com
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Press contacts:
Lesaffre : Laurine Doucy – l.doucy@lesaffre.com – +33(0)6 08 72 75 82
Lesaffre Asia-Pacific: Rani Berry – r.berry@lesaffre.com
Lesaffre China: Shengnan Ren – sn.ren@lesaffre.com
