Autumn is an important season for exhibitions and Italy’s major bakery show, AB Tech Expo, takes place at Milan’s massive Rho Fiera showground from 23-27 October. If you catch the shuttle bus from the airport directly to the show (see details page 40), don’t forget to ask the driver to stop at Fieramilano.

Equivalent to Birmingham’s NEC in prestige, all the fun of the fair is promised and it won’t just be breads. Cakes, pastries, biscuits and pizza will also be coming out of mixers or onto production lines before going into the latest ovens. With interpreters on hand, Italy’s most renowned pizza-maker Renato Andrenelli will talk about new flours, latest machinery, leavening and ingredients.

For bakers most of Italy’s major machi-nery manufactures will be present, as will many international exhibitors. For a full list of exhibitors see abtechexpo.com, but key names include Rondo, Tagliavini, Fortuna, Sancassiano, Pietroberto, VMI, Bertuetti, Sottoriva, Turri, Colip, Mimac and Werner & Pfleiderer.

New products

The De Danieli Cooker line is aimed at bakers who need to make all sorts of doughs and mixtures, including creams, jams, mustards, cheese, nougat, almond brittle and caramels.

There is also a separate nougat cooker and a tank for chocolate and fats in stainless steel with capacities of 50-500 litres.

Dell’Oro will be showing its new Triplex divider/rounder for flatbreads, including pittas, piadinas and pizzas. It can work dough pieces from 60-300g. The latest model has three independent units laid one on top of the other, which allow a triple working of the product in one passage.

Pietroberto’s Sart 2 rounder is described as a "compact and silent machine" suitable for craft and industrial bakeries and can work both soft and medium-hard doughs.

Brevetti Gasparin’s Bauletto Line slices and packs tin bread in flow at high speed. The belt’s guide sides and speed are fully adjustable. Output is 1,800-2,400 per hour. Bread shelf-life can be extended by use of an alcohol spray.

Costa Group will be showing its latest shopfittings used by craft bakers and foodservice outlets all over the world.

CP spiral mixers can be programmed for 99 different mixes at three different speeds with a reverse bowl rotation to help with premixing. A water meter and thermal probe help guide and indicate both dough and water temperatures

Rondo’s latest Curl & More for croissants, baguettes and pretzel-type shapes has already won two innovation awards so it is not strictly new, but it can now work in conjunction with the Rondosprayer, which can atomise liquids or spread seeds.

Molino Galla Giovanna will be demonstrating the various products that can be made with the latest 00 flour, ideal for Danish pastries, brioches, sponges and croissants.

Sottoriva has a new version of its Athena divider/rounder, which can work from one to six rows with weight ranges from 25-700g. Designed for breads, rolls and stamped bread, it can also produce pittas and hamburgers. Complete with a resting prover, it offers maximum flexibility.

Sottoriva is also unveiling an automatic unit with a tray-loading device for ciabattas and rolled breads. It uses new technologies and the option of non-stick materials.

Tagliavini will be showing its full line of compact, energy-saving rotary ovens. It will also demonstrate its Global One project, which includes point-of-sale, product advice, marketing and training.

With the Wiesheu Dibas 64 oven, the door disappears sideways into the housing. Automatic or manual, there are no corners or edges for optimum ease of cleaning. With energy-saving as standard, options include variable air circulation and steam.

The latest Rollmatic bread slicer is especially designed for shops and supermarkets. It features automatic opening and closing by photocells and, with state-of-the-art protection, can even be operated by customers. With two cutting speeds and adjustable blade widths, it is said to be very easy to operate and has two patents pending. It is also available without the automatic front door and photocells.

Finally, VMI Berto Italia will present its new removable bowl mixer for capacities of 80280kg of dough.

How to get there

During the exhibition visitors will find a direct shuttle bus service to the fair (stop on request) by Malpensa Shuttle and Malpensa Bus Express.

Malpensa Shuttle:
l Departures from Malpensa airport at Terminal 1, exit 6. From 7am to 10pm departures every 20 minutes with a stop at Fieramilano only on request. Direct line Malpensa-Fieramilano from 9am to 11.30am, every 30 minutes.
l Departures from Fieramilano at West Gate, at 2pm and 3pm and every 30 minutes from 4pm to 7pm.
l For online ticketing and information: www.malpensashuttle.it
 
Malpensa Bus Express:
l Departures from Malpensa airport at Terminal 1, exit 6. From 6.30am to 6.10pm departures every 20 minutes with a stop at Fieramilano on request.
l Departures from Fieramilano at West Gate, at 2.30pm and 3.30pm and every 30 minutes from 3.45pm to 6.45pm. Last bus is at 7.30pm.
l For information: www.autostradale.it

During demonstrations in the workshop areas, foreign visitors will find hostesses and interpreters who can translate into the main languages (English, German, Spanish, French and Russian).

Show organiser F&M Fiere & Mostre Srl
l Tel +39 02.409221
(as of 1 September)
l visit.abtech@fieremostre.it
l promo.abtech@fieremostre.it
l www.abtechexpo.com

Welcome to our international visitors

"We look forward to welcoming trade operatives from all over the world and particularly British and Irish visitors to AB Tech Expo 2010. It will be the premier event for the baking industry, with a strong focus on bread and cake-making equipment and also everything to do with pizza and even fresh pasta.
"We are proud to have as exhibitors the main international representative companies of the market, keen to show their latest novelties to the British and Irish markets. While there is a strong focus on technologies, there will also be many ingredient demonstrations with best ’maestri’ (craftsmen), competitions, tutorials and new ideas.
"Fieramilano is one of the most important and modern fairgrounds in Europe and it will be great to welcome bakers and professionals from all sectors of the trade in such an exclusive location."
Aldo Tagliabue (Organiser andsecretary general of AB Tech Expo)