KANSAS CITY — In the pizza world what’s hot and what’s not changes almost as often as the latest version of an iPhone. While the famous thick-crusted, Detroit-style frozen pizza drove sales for the past few years, hand-tossed, stuffed and even fermented-flavored, Italian pinsa-crusted pies are striving to give takeout a run for its money. On top of it all, extra meat, cheese and everything else are loaded up to capture the imagination of hungry consumers.

The shape of the pizza world is also diversifying with the invasion of rectangular and oblong flatbreads that transform pizzas into appetizers or create a new textural experience for adventurous aficionados of this category. Keeping up with this ever-changing universe isn’t easy, noted industry experts in November’s pizza processing report in Baking & Snack magazine.

Adapting to the latest fashion requires constant retooling, even for the most versatile of lines that often require much more space than dedicated production systems. Pizza producers may even need to add an inline proofer for thicker, fluffier doughs or additional mixing bowl storage capacity for longer fermentation processes.

Limiting waste of costly ingredients is another key processing initiative in this competitive market. Precision sauce depositors can match exact pattern requirements while pepperoni, sliced mozzarella or pieces of Canadian bacon can be accurately placed across crusts. Machine learning allows systems to adjust to pizzas that come in a variety of shapes and dimensions.