Bakery China 2026 Concludes Highlighting Growing Internationalization Of The Global Bakery Industry
Bakery China 2026 concluded on May 23 after four days of exhibitions, business meetings and industry events, bringing together suppliers, manufacturers, ingredient companies and bakery professionals from around the world.
The 28th edition of the event, held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai, covered more than 330,000 square meters and featured 2,267 brands and companies from 79 countries and regions. Organizers reported attendance of nearly 400,000 professional visitors from 144 countries and regions.
Co-organized by the China Association of Bakery & Confectionery Industry and Bakery China Exhibitions Co., Ltd., this year’s exhibition was held under the theme “Innovate Beyond • Premiere Fusion • Link Future.”
According to the organizers, international participation continued to grow, with overseas exhibitors accounting for more than 20% of participants. Companies from Germany, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, the United States and South Korea were among those represented on the exhibition floor.
The event also highlighted the increasing international reach of China’s bakery sector. Organizers reported that the number of overseas buyers attending the exhibition increased by more than 60% compared with previous editions.
“Bakery China will continue empowering high-quality development of the bakery industry, facilitating business matchmaking, trend insights, resource integration, skills enhancement, brand exposure, and global exchanges,” said Zhang Jiukui, president of the China Association of Bakery & Confectionery Industry.
A dedicated Belt and Road Bakery Theme Zone showcased ingredients, products and bakery techniques from countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Organizers said cross-cultural product development, including the incorporation of Chinese flavors into Western-style bakery products and the use of Western production techniques in traditional Chinese baked goods, emerged as a notable theme throughout the exhibition.
For the first time, Bakery China also hosted a “Going Global” forum aimed at supporting Chinese bakery companies seeking international expansion. Sessions focused on regulatory compliance, certification requirements, halal certification, supply chain localization, overseas market development and cross-cultural brand communication.
Innovation remained a central focus of the exhibition. Thousands of new products and technologies were presented during the event, while the Bakery China Innovation Award recognized 136 products from 122 companies across ingredients, equipment and packaging categories. Organizers said the accompanying New Product Launch Week further highlighted emerging technologies and product development trends.
One of the major additions to this year’s exhibition was the launch of Chocolate China 2026, a dedicated chocolate industry event covering 30,000 square meters. More than 150 cocoa and chocolate companies participated, representing various stages of the chocolate value chain.
Automation and digitalization were also prominent themes. Exhibitors showcased fully automated baking production lines, AI-powered vision inspection systems and other smart manufacturing technologies designed to improve efficiency, product consistency and traceability. Organizers identified intelligent manufacturing, healthy eating and clean-label products as key trends shaping future industry development.
“Bakery China is a world-leading bakery exhibition and an excellent platform for understanding industry trends, finding inspiration, and sourcing products,” said Cai Yi Cheng, president of the Malaysian Bakery and Confectionery Union.
Looking ahead, the organizers announced the launch of Bakery ASEAN, scheduled to take place in Jakarta, Indonesia, from August 27-29. The 11th Bakery China Autumn exhibition and the 9th China Home Baking Show will follow from October 22-24 at the Wuhan International Expo Center.