Swiss food equipment manufacturer Bühler has announced the creation of Consumer Food segment, which will become effective from 1 January 2019.

The firm says it will combine the current chocolate, nuts, bakery and coffee business with its recently acquired Haas wafer products business.

Bühler will use the new entity to improve customer support in global markets through simplified interfaces, integrated solutions, innovation, and services.

Haas CEO Germar Wacker will lead the Consumer Food segment as part of Bühler’s executive board.

Bühler CEO Stefan Scheiber said: “With this move, we can create significant value for our customers and position ourselves as clear leader in the growing consumer foods market.”

Haas has operated as a separate business since its acquisition in January 2018.

Bühler and Haas currently serve several important customers together, work jointly on customer projects, and are also in talks with several interested partners.

The new organisation combines all consumer foods related technologies and solutions into one segment. It will serve as the logical next move to serve customers from one single point of origin.

Haas CEO Germar Wacker said: “With this new, strong business pillar in the field of processing technologies in consumer foods, we can offer specialised knowledge as well as research and development to the needs of our customers in that sector.”

The creation of a new business segment is considered to be a milestone for 50-year old Bühler Group.

Consumer Foods will join the two other segments of Advanced Materials and Grains & Food.