Todd Schneyer, senior director of engineering at Aspire Bakeries, was appointed vice chair. Schneyer has worked in the baking business for 39 years in maintenance and engineering roles, and succeeds Rowdy Brixey, president/CEO of Brixey Engineering, who served in committee leadership since 2018.

According to the association, the transition marks a new chapter for a committee with a long history of bringing together a balanced roster of bakery equipment manufacturers, equipment users, and general interest industry stakeholders to develop and maintain the standards for the baking industry through an ANSI-accredited consensus process.   

Steward first joined the committee’s leadership as vice chair in 1998 and became chair in 2000, serving in that role until 2025. During his tenure, he helped guide the committee and its standards work through more than two decades of change in bakery equipment, technology, and manufacturing. Brixey joined the committee’s leadership in 2018 and contributed to the continued stewardship and advancement of the Z50 standards.

“Toby and Rowdy have given an extraordinary amount of time, knowledge, and leadership to the Z50 Committee and to the baking industry,” says Arato. “Their work provided a strong foundation for the standards we have today.”

For the past three years, the Z50 Committee has worked on a major revision of the ANSI/ASB Z50.1-2026 Safety Requirements for Bakery Equipment standard, which was completed and received ANSI approval in February 2026. The standard applies to the design, construction, installation, safe operation, and maintenance of bakery machinery and equipment.  

The 2026 revision includes substantive updates intended to reflect technical advancements in bakery equipment and machine operation. Among the areas addressed are expanded requirements for machine guarding, safety interlocks, and hazardous energy control, as well as a dedicated section covering industrial robots, robotic work cells, and collaborative robots. The revised standard also reinforces shared responsibility between equipment suppliers and buyers for ensuring that delivered equipment conforms to applicable safety requirements.  

“The release of the revised Z50.1 standard is an important milestone for the committee,” notes Sarah Day, ASB’s director of education and standards. “Bakery equipment and technology continue to evolve, and the standard needs to evolve with them. This revision reflects the organization’s renewed commitment to providing the industry with relevant, practical safety guidance that supports both equipment manufacturers, and the bakeries using that equipment.”

With the Z50.1 revision complete, attention is now turning to the ANSI/ASB Z50.2 Sanitation Requirements for Bakery Equipment standard. The ANSI/ASB Z50.2 standard establishes sanitary design criteria for bakery equipment, including requirements related to equipment design, construction, cleanability, and access. The standard is intended to support manufacturers in the design and construction of equipment, as well as bakers in the selection, purchase, installation, and modification of machinery.

Related State of the Industry 2026: Bakers continue rolling with the punches