American Society of Baking names new Z50 leadership and advances safety, sanitation standards

The American Society of Baking announced new leaders for its ANSI Z50 Safety and Sanitation Committee as it wraps a major safety standard update and begins work on a sanitation revision. The moves affect bakery equipment standards that shape design, operation and hygienic practices across the industry.

Why it matters: - The Z50 standards help set the baseline for bakery equipment safety and sanitation across the industry. - The latest leadership change comes as the committee updates guidance for modern equipment, including robotics and hazardous energy control. - The standards affect manufacturers, bakeries and equipment buyers that must align on design, installation and operating expectations.

What happened: - The American Society of Baking announced leadership transitions within the ANSI Z50 Safety and Sanitation Committee. - Lisa Arato, Area Sales Manager at Spiromatic, became committee chair. - Todd Schneyer, Sr. Director of Engineering at Aspire Bakeries, became vice chair. - Charles D. “Toby” Steward stepped down after 25 years as chair. - Rowdy Brixey’s committee leadership role ended after service that began in 2018. - The changes were announced in Indianapolis on Sept. 30, 2026.

The details: - Arato has 35 years of industry experience and an engineering background spanning project management, applications engineering and outside sales. - Schneyer has 39 years in the baking business, with experience in maintenance and engineering. - Steward first joined committee leadership as vice chair in 1998 and became chair in 2000. - The committee is made up of bakery equipment manufacturers, equipment users and other industry stakeholders. - The group develops and maintains standards through an ANSI-accredited consensus process. - The ANSI/ASB Z50.1-2026 Safety Requirements for Bakery Equipment standard was completed and received ANSI approval in February 2026. - Z50.1 covers the design, construction, installation, safe operation and maintenance of bakery machinery and equipment. - The 2026 revision expands requirements for machine guarding, safety interlocks and hazardous energy control. - The revision adds a dedicated section on industrial robots, robotic work cells and collaborative robots. - The revised standard reinforces shared responsibility between equipment suppliers and buyers for ensuring delivered equipment meets safety requirements. - The ANSI/ASB Z50.2 Sanitation Requirements for Bakery Equipment standard sets sanitary design criteria for equipment. - Z50.2 includes requirements tied to design, construction, cleanability and access. - The sanitation standard is intended to support both equipment manufacturers and bakers in equipment selection, purchase, installation and modification. - Nominations for the Z50.2 revision subcommittee have closed. - The committee is forming the group that will review and revise the current sanitation standard. - The new subcommittee will include representatives from major equipment manufacturers, bakeries and regulatory organizations. - ASB serves as secretariat for the committee and supports administration, records, ballots and ANSI review submissions. - Both ANSI/ASB Z50 standards are available through the American Society of Baking. - The purchase link is Purchase ANSI/ASB Z50.1 and Z50.2.

Between the lines: - The leadership transition signals continuity, not a reset, because both the outgoing and incoming leaders have long backgrounds in baking-industry engineering and standards work. - The Z50.1 update shows the committee is trying to keep pace with automation and safety expectations in modern bakeries. - The start of Z50.2 revision work suggests sanitation and hygienic design are now the next priority area for the committee. - Industry participation remains central to the process, which is designed to balance supplier, baker and regulatory interests.

What's next: - The Z50.2 revision subcommittee will begin detailed review of the current sanitation standard. - The committee will work to align the next edition with current hygienic design practices and practical bakery needs. - ASB will continue administering the consensus process and submitting standards for ANSI review and approval. - The committee will keep maintaining both Z50 standards as equipment and operating practices evolve.

The bottom line: - ASB is refreshing its Z50 leadership while updating bakery equipment safety rules and opening the next round of sanitation standards work.