ABA and ASB are united in their mission to foster a culture of continuous learning, growth and innovation within the baking industry. This collaboration of associations is helping to provide access to high-quality online training, enhancing the educational opportunities for baking professionals across the United States. 

“Promoting education across the baking industry is key to building a more skilled and efficient workforce. By leveraging both traditional and innovative learning methods, we’re making essential training more accessible and impactful than ever before. This collaboration allows professionals to access high-quality, interactive courses conveniently and effectively, ensuring that the industry can keep up with the demands of safety, efficiency, and continuous growth,” said Samantha Moore, ABA’s Senior Director of Events and Programming.  

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with ABA as we expand our educational offerings available in the Education Hub,” said Sarah Day, ASB’s Director of Education. “This partnership demonstrates our commitment to supporting the growth and development of the baking industry by providing a broader range of accessible, interactive training tools. These new courses promote innovation and ensure that our suppliers, bakers, and, most importantly, the millions who rely on our products benefit from the highest standards of excellence and safety.”

These online training courses provide industry-specific, technical education for bakery production employees at multiple skill levels. The courses will focus on training for bread, hamburger and hot dog buns, variety hearth breads, cookies and crackers, sheeting and laminating, wire cut cookies, rotary cookies and crackers, and sandwich cookies and crackers. 

Find more about course details and how to enroll on ASB’s website.

About the American Society of Baking  

ASB is a community of commercial baking professionals striving for the advancement of our field. Through continuing education, networking opportunities, and professional development, we facilitate the growth of our industry one member at a time. The Society strives to facilitate personal and professional development through education and collaboration. Our beloved industry employs 330,000 hard-working professionals at over 600 commercial baking plants. ASB’s mission is to deliver education and training, share technical resources, and foster connections for the advancement of the baking industry.

About the American Bakers Association

The American Bakers Association (ABA) is the largest, most established, and diverse trade association for the commercial baking industry in the United States. ABA’s community includes more than 350 member companies representing over 1,200 commercial baking facilities and the extensive industry supply chain. Since 1897, ABA has served as the voice of the baking industry, offering compelling advocacy, insightful thought leadership, and comprehensive research on industry trends. ABA members also benefit from extensive business services including premier networking events, impactful knowledge sharing, and effective workforce development programs and training resources. ABA is committed to enhancing its mission by growing the category and promoting the industry as the destination workplace.

“Hygienic design is an investment in the business and shouldn’t be considered an expense, but we recognized getting someone certified to understand the Z50.2 standard previously required time and travel,” noted Kristen L. Spriggs, ASB Executive Director. “We took a two-day, in-person course and through online learning techniques condensed the learning experience to a few hours with enhanced interactive tools. Our mission is to deliver valuable education to the industry’s workforce as efficiently and effectively as possible. Keeping bakeries safe and efficient is paramount to both BEAG and ASB.

For more information visit https://beagroup.org/page/CIEECertificationCourse

If you are interested in completing the course as part of the pressure testing process, contact Sarah Day sday@asbe.org.

To learn more about BEAG, email Jon Anderson info@beagroup.org.  

BAKERpedia, a multi-media resource known for its comprehensive and accessible knowledge, has generously gifted ASB its collection of articles covering essential commercial baking ingredients, processes, formulas, management tips, and how-to guides. 

This new initiative comes at a pivotal time in a new era of ASB who recently launched their Education Hub to cultivate educational and professional development resources for the industry. ASB members can now expand their baking knowledge through a new online learning center that hosts training courses, on-demand webinars, historical technical bulletins, and the BAKERpedia resource.

Ash Gurney, chair of ASB’s Education Committee, believes, “The baking industry has recognized its void of training options for frontline team members, and ASB has specifically designed this inaugural education program to this. It will provide foundational knowledge to support the industry, as well as individual career development. We are excited and proud to adopt this task as part of our knowledge sharing and learning mantra.”

“What we have initiated is a wonderful example of industry member collaboration and ASB management coming together in support of our industry’s future,” – Ash Gurney

BAKERpedia’s dedication to educating the baking community is showcased in the online encyclopedia, which has become a trusted industry resource evidenced by its 2 million pageviews each year. Through this partnership, both platforms will have extended impact and visibility in their goal of growing a shared-knowledge community that fosters innovation and collaboration. 

“BAKERpedia has been the leading technical resource. Over the last decade, we have leveled the innovation playing field for start-ups and baking companies by providing accessibility to crucial technical baking information,” remarked Dr. Lin Carson, BAKERpedia ‘s CEO and Founder. “By working with ASB, we look forward to bringing these readers into a membership that would help their businesses thrive, seeing ASB grow and becoming technical partners in their training program.”

By hosting BAKERpedia’s online encyclopedia, ASB is offering its members access to valuable research-based materials, enhancing their professional development, knowledge, and expertise in the field of baking. 

“The strategic focus on delivering quality educational resources, which will add new value for ASB members with workforce development and training, is significantly enhanced with the BAKERpedia content,” said Kristen L. Spriggs, ASB executive director. “This compendium of baking terms and technical definitions will serve as our foundation for building out our new hands-on and virtual training, certifications, and micro-learning opportunities to support the needs of the commercial baking industry.”

“We couldn’t be more excited about what’s planned with our new Education Hub. Since day one of this project, our board had a vision of what is needed, and we are finally developing it with guidance and expertise from ASB members.” – Kristen L. Spriggs

A variety of ASB membership levels will give visitors unlimited access to the online encyclopedia. Members can stay up to date on industry trends and best practices, in addition to enjoying the networking and community benefits of ASB. For 100 years, the Society has served the baking industry with a full range of growth opportunities. Their network of bakers, engineers, service providers, food technologists and equipment/ingredient suppliers reach all corners of the industry, and ASB invites baking professionals worldwide to explore this resource.

“I am extremely excited for the new educational offerings at ASB. The team has listened to industry feedback, and the Society recognizes the need to attract, retain and develop talent,” remarked Xochitl Cruz, ASB Board Member and VP of Sweet Baked Goods Operations at Bimbo Bakeries, USA.

“The American Society of Baking is a hub for the industry, connecting individuals from all levels, product categories, and backgrounds for continued growth. As we launch our new Education Hub, I see it as truly the most fitting responsibility of the Society to provide this resource.” says Brittny Ohr, ASB Board Member, emphasizing the Society’s commitment to facilitating growth and knowledge sharing with the new BAKERpedia resource.

For more information about ASB’s integration of BAKERpedia’s online encyclopedia and membership benefits, please visit asbe.org/education or sign up for our informational webinar on 3/12/24.

“We are actively working to make technical training more accessible and relevant for today’s professionals. This collaboration marks a new era for the baking industry’s workforce. By integrating ABA’s comprehensive courses into the ASB Education Hub we’re furthering the reach of this essential skillset,” said ABA President and CEO, Eric Dell.

Kristen L. Spriggs, Executive Director for ASB, also shared her excitement. “ASB is committed to supporting the growth and development of individuals in the baked-goods industry. With ABA’s courses now available on our platform, we’re able to offer an even broader range of educational tools. This effort is aligned with our strategic vision to deliver training, development, and educational resources to our growing membership and the commercial baking industry at-large.”

Collaboration is at the heart of this partnership. By sharing courses to expand reach, it is not only a smart use of resources for ABA and ASB members, but it is exactly the type of collaboration both organizations aim to foster in meeting members’ needs and serving the industry.

“The partnership is a win-win for both organizations and their members,” said Samantha Moore, Senior Director, Meetings and Education at ABA. “The availability of ABA’s courses on the ASB platform simplifies the learning process. Professionals can now easily access top-notch training and education without having to navigate multiple systems. It’s a game-changer for the industry.”

To learn more about pricing and enrollment categories, email Vanessa Vial at vvial@americanbakers.org or Sarah Day at sday@asbe.org.

Today, BAKERpedia, the innovative resource for baking solutions, is joining forces with the American Society of Baking (ASB), a professional association dedicated to the advancement of the baking industry, to bring new value to its growing membership with research-based resources to benefit its current and future members.

BAKERpedia will bring awareness to the century-old baking association who is reinventing itself with modern ways to serve the industry, just in time for its 100th anniversary celebration. The collaboration between BAKERpedia and ASB aims to promote membership and foster knowledge sharing within the baking community to empower baking professionals.

 Recognizing the importance of accessible resources and the power of collective expertise, BAKERpedia has donated its extensive collection of articles, how-to’s, tutorials, and expert tips, spanning a wide range of industrial baking disciplines to ASB.

Both organizations look to leverage their respective strengths to benefit baking professionals and enthusiasts across the globe. The partnership will significantly expand ASB’s digital resources, providing its members with unparalleled access to comprehensive and up-to-date information in the baking field.

“We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Lin Carson for her generosity and recognition of ASB’s vision to enhance the way we serve the baking industry. ASB Members are asking us to develop resources and support their education needs. Collaboration with thought-leaders and partners like those at BAKERpedia allow us to exponentially enhance our learning library overnight. Through our teams and volunteers, we will use this new resource wisely and expand our service to ASB members and beyond,” remarked Kristen L. Spriggs, CAE, IOM, ASB’s executive director.  

This partnership comes at a crucial time for the baking community, as professionals seek innovative ways to stay connected and grow their expertise amidst evolving market demands. Through this collaborative relationship, BAKERpedia and ASB will facilitate the exchange of ideas, encourage networking, and elevate the standards of the baking industry as a whole.

“BAKERpedia has been educating the baking industry for 10 years with our free encyclopedia. While I get plenty of gratitude for founding this resource, it’s been built by a team of food science writers and it’s been a labor of love. With the new leadership at ASB, I feel it is time this resource is put to good use to help the association,” said Lin Carson, said Lin Carson, CEO of BAKERpedia, who earned her PhD in the Department of Grain Science at Kansas State University. “Recently, I’m finding great value in actively working directly in plants with bakers across the US and making recommendations on products to use and connecting relationships. This is the direction of our new BAKERconcierge program that has really taken off! It is a natural pivot for us that continues to inspire innovation in the industry, driven by technical demand at the plant level.” 

Both organizations are excited about the potential impact this collaboration will have on the baking community. Through their agreed commitment to knowledge sharing and professional development, BAKERpedia and ASB aim to empower bakers to excel in their businesses, contribute to the industry’s growth, and bring innovation to bakers around the world.

For more information about BAKERpedia and ASB, please visit their respective websites at www.BAKERpedia.com and www.asbe.org.

Collaborative efforts to enhance existing and create new educational and training resources for the baking industry is a key priority for ASB in its 2023-2024 business plan. ASB’s Executive Director met with baking industry association leaders at the recent Bakery Equipment Manufacturers Association (BEMA) Annual Meeting in Bluffton, S.C. to discuss industry initiatives and areas of priority in the coming year.

“Our Education Committee has ramped up its efforts over the past few months to re-engage in the ongoing challenge of meeting the training and development needs of the baking industry,” said Spriggs. “With the help of dedicated leaders like Ash Gurney of Dawn Foods who chairs the committee to passionate volunteers like Aaron Clanton of Kansas State University, we are committed to making progress on this for members.”  Ash Gurney, a trade-qualified baker and duel international baking technologist, andAaron Clanton, a graduate of Kansas State University with bachelor’s degrees in milling science and management, and in chemical science, are keen to see ASB make considerable headway in delivering quality educational resources for the industry.

ASB currently offers online educational courses through its partnership with BAKERpedia and has more shared offerings coming soon from both BAKERpedia and other industry partners. 

“We are looking for more volunteers to join our committee who want to see us finally working together to meet this industry need,” said Gurney. “Our task list is long, but our focus is sharp.”

To learn more, email info@asbe.org.

Volunteer Sign-up – American Society of Baking (asbe.org).