It is a common refrain that the industrial baking industry is not like other segments of the food industry. This is a place where bakery manufacturers and their suppliers frequently mingle and develop friendships. Competitors can respectfully share best practices that strengthen the industry as a whole. The American Society of Baking (ASB) is an organization that embodies and enables that spirit through its mission to share knowledge and bring bakers together, a mission it has been fulfilling for 100 years. 

“It’s a place where you can share ideas, best practices and emerging innovations, and these three things are of tremendous value to bakery professionals,” said Rod Radalia, vice president of product innovation, Aunt Millie’s Bakeries, Fort Wayne, Ind., and 2021 ASB chair.

ASB, originally called the American Society of Bakery Engineers, was founded by a small group of bakers, who in November of 1923 decided bakers from across the country should come together annually for a conference. The first gathering was held in 1924, and it endures today in the form of BakingTech. The founding bakers developed the Bakers Creed, which extols the values of sharing information, furthering progress for the industry, advancing the science of baking, living out ideals of fellowship and education, assisting fellow bakery engineers, and more. 

ASB and BakingTech pursue those goals today through the annual meeting, educational programming and resources, and networking opportunities both at BakingTech and regional meetings throughout the year. While the format may have evolved with the times, ASB is still known as a leader in education and a place to build community within the baking industry. 

“The legacy of ASB can be seen in the different people and businesses that thrive because of the learnings and connections that have been gained through ASB and BakingTech,” said Paul Rainey, senior vice president, operations support, Flowers Foods, Thomasville, Ga., and 2018 ASB chair. “You can see its impact proliferate throughout the entire industry.” 

This article is an excerpt from the February 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire special report on ASB Centennial: Legacy, click here.