In the commercial baking industry, consumer trust is built one batch at a time, and food safety is the foundation that helps earn and maintain that trust. Now, two of the industry's leading organizations are joining forces to help commercial bakers strengthen their food safety programs.
The American Bakers Association (ABA) and AIB Education & Research have announced a strategic collaboration to develop a first-of-its-kind Bakery Playbook series on Food Safety. Designed specifically for commercial bakers, the initiative will provide practical, bakery-focused guidance supported by real-world industry data, benchmarking, and best practices.
For decades, ABA has represented and connected the commercial baking industry, while AIB has helped food manufacturers strengthen food safety through science-based education, research, and technical expertise. Together, the organizations are bringing these complementary strengths into a collaborative initiative designed to support bakery operations of every size.
The partnership combines ABA's well-established Bakery Playbook research format. Built on insights from ABA's member community, with AIB's food safety expertise to develop practical resources that bakery professionals can put into action. The series will include benchmarking data, best practices, and implementation tools to help organizations continuously strengthen their food safety programs.
As Eric Dell, President and CEO of ABA, noted, "Food safety remains the foundation of consumer confidence and business success for the industry," adding that the collaboration will provide ABA members with practical, bakery-specific resources that support safe, high-quality operations.
The Bakery Food Safety Playbook series reflects a shared commitment to making practical food safety knowledge more accessible across the commercial baking industry.
As Aaron Edwards, President and CEO of AIB International, explained, the collaboration demonstrates AIB Education & Research's nonprofit mission to support the food industry through education, research, and technical expertise. By combining ABA's industry leadership with AIB's scientific and technical knowledge, the initiative will help make high-quality food safety guidance available to bakery professionals across the industry.
Whether supporting large commercial bakeries or smaller operations with limited resources, the goal is the same: helping organizations build stronger food safety programs and protect consumer confidence.
The first Bakery Playbook is expected to be released in 2027, with additional topics, research findings, and implementation tools to follow as the initiative evolves.
More than a new industry resource, the Bakery Playbook series represents what is possible when organizations with complementary strengths work toward a common goal: advancing food safety and helping commercial bakers continue delivering safe, high-quality products.
Read the official announcement from the American Bakers Association:
https://americanbakers.org/news/aba-and-aib-announce-strategic-collaboration-advance-food-safety-resources-baking-industry