The fifth session of the IDMA Global Grain & Milling Forum explored the future of the pasta and bakery industries through the lens of changing consumer expectations, AI-supported production technologies, clean label solutions, enzyme applications, functional products and sustainability. Alongside the strong production infrastructure and export capacity of the Turkish pasta industry, the panel also highlighted the sector’s need to combat misinformation and establish more effective communication with consumers.

The future of pasta and bakery was discussed at the IDMA Global Grain & Milling Forum. The Forum’s fifth session, dedicated to the transformation of the pasta and bakery industries, comprehensively addressed the sector’s evolving agenda from production to consumption. Moderated by Agricultural Engineer and Founder of Ekmek Defterim, Nesrin Karataş, the session brought together Aykut Göymen, Chairman of the Turkish Pasta Manufacturers Association (TMSD); Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sertaç Özer, Faculty Member of the Department of Food Engineering at Çukurova University; Serhap Varan, General Coordinator of ERKE Food; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlkay Gök, Head of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Istanbul Okan University.

The session emphasized that consumer expectations are redefining the boundaries of the food industry. Beyond taste and price, health, functionality, clean label, transparency, sustainability and experience-oriented consumption trends are now directly shaping product development processes. The speakers noted that this transformation is affecting the entire value chain, from milling and pasta production to bakery, R&D, enzyme technologies and manufacturing lines.

Göymen: “The Turkish pasta industry is young, modern and strong”

Highlighting the robust production infrastructure of the Turkish pasta industry, Aykut Göymen, Chairman of the Turkish Pasta Manufacturers Association (TMSD), stated that the sector has a production capacity of 3.5 million tonnes, while exports currently stand at 1.4 million tonnes, generating approximately USD 1.043 billion in revenue.

Göymen stressed that the sector has a dynamic structure capable of responding to rising production costs and changing demands from different markets. He noted that the Turkish pasta industry operates with young and modern production lines, with nearly 90 percent of its facilities consisting of newly established lines, giving Türkiye a significant competitive advantage.

Addressing the role of technology and artificial intelligence in production, Göymen explained that AI-supported systems are making substantial contributions in areas such as fault detection, warehouse management, inventory monitoring and production efficiency. Emphasizing the industry's close collaboration with machinery manufacturers, he remarked, “We come here not only to buy machines but also to discover new technologies,” highlighting IDMA’s role as a showcase for technological innovation.

Aykut Göymen

Göymen also pointed out that the establishment of new pasta factories across African countries has led to growing protectionist tendencies in certain markets. At the same time, he noted that the Turkish pasta industry has been strengthening its position in quality-driven markets such as Japan and the Far East, where pasta produced from Turkish durum wheat is increasingly gaining preference.

He further stated that the expectations of next-generation consumers are changing, with high-protein pasta, innovative product formats and products offering new consumption experiences set to become more prominent. Göymen emphasized that many pasta products manufactured in Türkiye already possess high protein values and that the industry needs to communicate this advantage more effectively to consumers.

Gök: “Pasta should be explained through scientific evidence, not misconceptions”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. İlkay Gök, Head of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Istanbul Okan University, stated that consumer expectations in the food industry are no longer limited to taste alone. New-generation products, he said, must also respond to changing lifestyles, health concerns and sustainability goals. Gök identified functional foods, high-protein products and plant-based proteins as key trends for the coming years, adding that pasta has significant opportunities within this transformation.

He also pointed out that pasta and wheat-based products are increasingly subjected to criticism on social media that often lacks scientific foundation. He stressed the importance of properly managing consumer perceptions regarding gluten, carbohydrates and the glycaemic index. According to Gök, when prepared correctly and paired with appropriate ingredients, pasta can be a healthy and nutritious meal, and its scientifically supported nutritional value should be communicated more effectively to consumers.

Prof. Dr. İlkay Gök

According to Gök, the pasta of the future will not simply provide satiety but will also deliver an enhanced consumer experience, featuring higher protein content, enrichment with plant-based ingredients, a stronger perception of low glycaemic index and full alignment with sustainability criteria. He also underlined that the European Green Deal and carbon emission targets will become increasingly influential for food manufacturers, stating, “Carbon emissions will become part of our lives much like an identity card.”

Özer: “The flour and pasta industries are at the heart of the saying ‘Let food be thy medicine’”

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sertaç Özer, Faculty Member of the Department of Food Engineering at Çukurova University, stated that Türkiye holds a strong position in grain-based processing industries, highlighting both its success in flour exports and the global strength of its pasta sector. However, he argued that the industry faces a serious perception problem and that campaigns targeting flour, bread and pasta products must be countered with scientific evidence.

Özer explained that consumers can essentially be divided into two groups: the broad consumer base meeting basic nutritional needs and a more selective consumer segment seeking functional benefits. He noted that the latter group increasingly values protein quality, digestibility, fibre content, resistant starch and improved nutrient bioavailability.

Focusing particularly on whole wheat products, Özer emphasized the importance of properly utilizing fibre sources and other nutritional components. He also argued that the term “ultra-processed food” is often misused, stressing that proper food processing should not be viewed as a loss of value but rather as a means of creating functional value. Referring to Hippocrates’ famous quote, “Let food be thy medicine,” Özer stated that the flour and pasta industries are among the sectors most closely aligned with this philosophy.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sertaç Özer

Looking ahead, Özer predicted that while mass-market consumers will remain important, demand will continue to grow for local and heritage wheat varieties, flours with enhanced functional properties, thermally treated specialty flours and Turkish-style product concepts developed specifically for export markets.

Varan: “Success lies not in eliminating additives, but in earning trust through transparency”

Serhap Varan, General Coordinator of ERKE Food, stated that growing consumer demand for clean label and additive-free products has become one of the most complex issues facing the food industry. Describing flour as one of the purest products available in Türkiye, Varan emphasized that consumers should be better informed about the extensive R&D, laboratory analysis and quality control processes carried out in flour mills.

He explained that there is a delicate balance between consumers’ expectations for simpler, more natural products and manufacturers’ need to maintain consistent quality, process reliability and shelf life. If managed correctly, he said, this balance should be viewed not as a contradiction but as an opportunity that adds value to the industry.

Varan noted that next-generation enzyme technologies play a critical role in achieving this balance. He explained that enzymes are biological solutions that perform their function during the production process but complete their role before the final product reaches consumers. According to Varan, enzymes contribute to dough volume, texture retention, shelf life, freshness and process reliability while also supporting clean label strategies.

Serhap Varan

Emphasizing the need to explain enzymes more clearly to consumers, Varan said, “I compare enzymes to the surgical team and instruments used by a surgeon in the operating room. They perform their task and then withdraw from the process.” He concluded by stating that “balance” will become the defining concept for the sector in the years ahead, with next-generation enzyme technologies enabling manufacturers to meet consumer demand for healthier, tastier and more affordable products.

2036 Vision: Functionality, Sustainability and Experience

In the final part of the panel, the speakers shared their vision for the industry through 2036. The common message was that the future of pasta and bakery products will be shaped by functionality, sustainability, effective communication, clean label solutions, high protein content, stronger low glycaemic index perception, product diversity and technological efficiency.

The panellists emphasized that Türkiye possesses a strong foundation not only in pasta production and exports but also in milling and food processing technologies. At the same time, they stressed that the industry must strengthen its communication with consumers, present scientific information in a clear and accessible manner, and make the nutritional value and technological evolution of its products more visible.

The key conclusion of the session was that competition in the pasta and bakery industries will no longer be determined solely by production capacity and price, but increasingly by knowledge, technology, sustainability, nutritional value and consumer trust.