BEMA brings AI to the industry forefront

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BEMA brings AI to the industry forefront

26 May 2025

Joanie Spencer

Since 2008, Joanie Spencer has covered the retail and wholesale sides of the baking industry.
Serving associations such as the American Society of Baking (ASB) and BEMA, Joanie is also in demand as an industry presenter on bakery operations and trends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rockhurst University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

When she’s not running or playing soccer, Joanie spends her time with her husband and 11-year-old son.

OVERLAND PARK, KS — The Baking Industry Forum (BIF), BEMA’s working group of bakers and suppliers dedicated to discussing the industry’s top issues, has identified AI as its priority topic for 2025-26.

The group, which meets monthly, has a wide swath of experience with AI, ranging from early adopters to those who are relatively new to the technology. That provides BIF members with an opportunity to run the gamut on discussing not only how AI is impacting manufacturing but also where the learning opportunities lie.

“We’re engaging people with all different kinds of backgrounds, whether they’re a machine manufacturer, ingredient supplier or end user,” said Brandon Brilliant, BakeTech general manager for AMF Bakery Systems. “However people are involved in the industry, they’ll have different levels of exposure to AI so we can explore the full scope of its impact and how it will be adapted in the industry.”

What it is

For many, the same question resounds: “What is AI, anyway?”

Here’s the short answer: It depends.

While AI is generally more common than people realize — anyone who has used Siri or Alexa has used AI — the sources of it, its levels of complexity, and the implications for business and manufacturing operations vary greatly depending on the user and purpose for use.

“A lot of people in the industry know about AI,” said Trent Wanamaker, VP of national accounts for Cain Food Industries. “We hear about it at conventions, and we know it’s something we should be adopting and somehow weaving into our businesses, but the question becomes, ‘Where or how do we start?’ That’s why BIF decided to focus on AI. So we can figure out how to create small steps that people can use to get started.”

As BIF focuses on those first steps, the group is intentional about including what AI means to every perspective on the baker and supplier sides.

“We have members of the group who are deeply engaged with AI, and it’s inspiring to see what they’re doing,” said Chad Larson, COO for Springfield, IL-based Mel-O-Cream Donuts. “It’s so beneficial for the industry to have a few people at the bleeding edge of it and willing to help develop what it can be for not just suppliers but also bakers and other manufacturers who are using equipment and ingredients.”

“We have access to so much information, and with AI, it becomes even more powerful.” — Chad Larson | COO | Mel-O-Cream Donuts

How to use it

The group has created a unique opportunity to help the industry understand how both sides can use the technology to collaborate in all-new ways.

“It’s important that we focus not only on each BIF member’s technical experience but also their role in the industry,” Brilliant said. “We’ve got bakers along with different categories of suppliers, so we can see how each of us can contribute in different ways as we work as a team to develop the smart bakery of the future.”

As AI becomes more clearly defined, the natural next question becomes, “How can I use it to make my process better?”

For Larson, it’s about identifying simple steps that lead to better adoption.

“We carry around a supercomputer in our hands every day in the form of a smartphone,” he said. “We have access to so much information, and with AI, it becomes even more powerful.”

With AMF’s early adoption as a company focusing on AI for things like preventive maintenance, Brilliant sees machine learning as a relatively easy way to understand and execute the technology.

“It’s been a huge concern for our customers in terms of keeping machine uptime and staying ahead of equipment failure,” he said. “AI has the potential to address how a baker is using temperature, vibration, pressure or energy consumption data and analyze it to make real decisions about where and how to use downtimes efficiently.”

But while equipment is an easy first step, there are a host of other applications as well. BIF’s diversity of experience opens the door to a variety of solutions.

“We all have different needs for AI,” Wanamaker said. “We see some opportunities on the ingredient side with procurement and logistics. With good talent becoming harder to find, AI can be a resource for us to help people be more efficient without overworking them.”

In terms of R&D benefits, Wanamaker compared it to CRISPR technology, which took years off genome editing for wheat and other grains.

“Similarly, when we come up with new ingredients, we’re talking about several hundred combinations to get to one functional ingredient” he said. “There could be a lot of time and money savings with the use of AI.”

Bringing it all together

In the past, equipment and ingredient vendors have worked independently from one another. However, modern technology like AI can create a more common thread between the two. And when groups like BIF come together to uncover its potential, the benefits are seemingly limitless.

“The beautiful thing about BIF is that it brings different people together from different organizations to have one dialogue,” Larson said. “We’re essentially saying, ‘We speak differently to one another, and we have different asks of everyone, but it’s all important to marry together and create one system of support.”

BIF will also focus on one baker’s journey of incorporating AI from an early stage. As the group shares that journey, BIF will use the experience as a case study to anchor a presentation during BEMA’s annual convention, to be held June 22-25 in Puerto Rico.

“It’s a great opportunity to sort of pull back the curtain and show what it looks like when you decide to bring AI into your process,” Brilliant said. “We’re focused on making that connection between, ‘This is a great idea, but how do I turn it into daily action?’ And showing what AI can look like when the rubber hits the road.”

Convention registration is still open, and more information can be found on the BEMA website.

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