Sep-Oct 2026 Issue
As this September–October issue of International Snacks demonstrates, the industry is not standing still. Across ingredients, production, packaging and product development, businesses are finding new ways to improve performance while protecting the qualities that make snacks so appealing.
This balance between challenge and opportunity runs through our Big Interview with Tobias Bachmüller, President of CAOBISCO. Discussing Europe’s sweet snack sector, he addresses volatile costs, shifting trade conditions, complex regulation and growing sustainability expectations.
Technology is another important theme throughout this issue. In our Innovator Interview, Roland Thiemann, Show Director of Anuga FoodTec, explores how automation, artificial intelligence and energy efficiency are transforming food production.
That thinking continues in our production and processing feature, which examines the growing influence of automation and SCADA technologies. Connected production data is giving manufacturers greater visibility across their operations, supporting improved consistency, increased throughput and reduced waste. However, the real opportunity lies in translating that information into practical decisions that make a measurable difference on the factory floor.
We also look ahead to südback 2026, an important exhibition for the bakery sector and an increasingly relevant event for manufacturers of sweet and baked snacks. The technologies and innovations on display offer valuable insight into the future of these overlapping industries.
What unites these subjects is the importance of adaptability. Snack producers are being asked to deliver greater variety, stronger nutritional credentials and reliable quality, often while managing pressure on costs and resources. The ability to respond quickly, without compromising the consumer experience, is becoming a defining competitive advantage for manufacturers.
Together, the features in this issue reflect an industry responding to uncertainty with practical innovation, technical expertise and a determination to improve.
