On May 11–13, 2026, the General Assembly of FEDIMA (Federation of European Manufacturers and
Suppliers of Ingredients to the Bakery, Confectionery, and Patisserie Industries) was held.
FEDIMA
https://www.fedima.org/, one of the key civil society organizations in the European bakery and flour-based
products sector and of which GIDABİL Association is a member, is a member of Food&Drink Europa https://www.fooddrinkeurope.eu/
.
Our Board of Directors Chairman, Dr. Mehmet Çetin Duruk, has been re-elected to the Board of Directors of FEDIMA—one of the leading civil society organizations in the European baking and bakery products sector
—for a three-year term
. This significant role serves as a valuable indicator that our international representation
and the vision of our Association are strongly reflected
on the European platform. We believe that the responsibility our Association President, Mr. DURUK, will assume within FEDIMA
will make significant contributions to the development of international collaborations on behalf of our sector and to our Association’s global vision.
FEDIMA Board of Directors Chairman Enric Valls (Puratos) and board members Christof
Crone (Der Backzutatenverband e.V.), Sébastien JOLLET (SYFAB), Gemma Auleda
(Fedima España), Christian Skulte (ASSITOL – Associazione Italiana dell’Industria
Olearia), David Amos (Association of Bakery Ingredient Manufacturers (ABIM)), Peter
Verhagen (Vereniging van Nederlandse Fabrikanten van Bakkerijgrondstoffen (NEBAFA),
Jérôme Lebriez (Lesaffre), Cristina Piñol (AB Mauri, a global business of Associated British
Foods plc), Juan Carlos Puente (Sefco Zeelandia SA), Carine Chincholle (CSM
Ingredients), Dr. Mehmet Çetin Duruk (GIDABIL), Lluis Borrell (Dawn Foods Global), and Rolf
Ahdell (Orkla Food Ingredients AS). We congratulate them and wish them continued success.
We would like to thank the members of the previous FEDIMA Board of Directors—
—and President Thomas Lesaffre for their service during the three years we worked together.
Our President, Dr. Mehmet Çetin Duruk, and our General Secretary,
Canan Elibollar, attended the General Assembly meeting. During the General Assembly meeting, current industry topics were discussed in committee sessions
. Ideas were exchanged regarding problems and proposed solutions
.
The Nutrition, Health, and Ultra-Processed Foods Panel was moderated by Sofia Morais (Regulatory Affairs Director at Puratos).
✓
Bo Dohmen from the Food&Drink Europe Confederation discussed whole grains, positive food environments, and EU health strategies in relation to the industry
✓
Marlou Lasschuijt from Wageningen University presented scientific data on current foods, processing methods, and the gut microbiome
✓
(EUFIC) Frédéric Bayer from the European Food Information Council, Consumers’ views on ultra-processed foods and misunderstandings in communication processes
✓
Mickaël DURAND-DUBIEF from LESAFFRE, Scientific approaches to product innovation
These presentations attracted significant interest.
A technical tour was conducted at a bakery in Bordeaux that has been producing traditional bread since 1765, and on-site inspections were carried out. Model businesses in the pastry sector were also visited.
