TREATMENT OF FLOUR OR DOUGH FOR BAKING, e.g. BY ADDITION OF MATERIALS; BAKING; BAKERY PRODUCTS

Introduced: September 1968

Last revised: January 2006

Classification Context

Section:: HUMAN NECESSITIES
Class:: BAKING; EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING OR PROCESSING DOUGHS; DOUGHS FOR BAKING
Subclass:: TREATMENT OF FLOUR OR DOUGH FOR BAKING, e.g. BY ADDITION OF MATERIALS; BAKING; BAKERY PRODUCTS

Description

A21D covers the chemical and physical treatment of flour and dough before and during baking, including the addition of ingredients, additives, and processing aids that modify dough properties or improve final product quality. This subclass encompasses baking processes, heat treatment of doughs, and the manufacture of finished bakery products such as bread, cakes, pastries, and related items. It includes technologies for dough conditioning, fermentation control, and incorporation of functional ingredients, but excludes the design of baking equipment itself (covered in A21B) and flour milling operations (covered in A21D's parent class A21).

Filing statistics

IPC subclass A21D recorded 35,638 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings declined from 3,606 in 2013 to 1,889 in 2023 (-48%), peaking at 4,434 applications in 2016. The most active applicants in class A21 are KVASENKOV OLEG IVANOVICH (482 applications), JOYOUNG COMPANY (322 applications) and HAAS FOOD EQUIPMENT (307 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

In class comparison

A21D ranks 1st of 3 subclasses with filings in A21, with 35,638 applications between 2013 and 2023, 41.7% of the class. Annual filings declined 48% from 2013 to 2023, below the class as a whole (+24%).

Subclasses of class A21 by patent applications, 2013–2023
Rank	Subclass	Title	Applications	Share
1	A21D	Treatment of Flour or Dough for Baking, e.g. by Addition of Materials; Baking; Bakery Products	35,638	41.7%
2	A21C, Machines or Equipment for Making or Processing Doughs; Handling Baked Articles Made From Dough	Machines or Equipment for Making or Processing Doughs; Handling Baked Articles Made From Dough	33,100	38.7%
3	A21B, Bakers' Ovens; Machines or Equipment for Baking	Bakers' Ovens; Machines or Equipment for Baking	16,786	19.6%

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Related Keywords

CAKE(S)preparing DOUGH; preserving DOUGH; treating DOUGH, e.g. with additives

7 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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A21D 10/00 Batters, dough or mixtures before baking
A21D 13/00 Finished or partly finished bakery products
A21D 15/00 Improving finished bakery products
A21D 17/00 Refreshing bakery products
A21D 2/00 Treatment of flour or dough by adding materials thereto before or during baking
A21D 6/00 Other treatment of flour or dough before baking, e.g. cooling, irradiating or heating
A21D 8/00 Methods for preparing or baking dough

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class A21, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

KVASENKOV OLEG IVANOVICH RU 482
JOYOUNG COMPANY 322
HAAS FOOD EQUIPMENT AT 307
GENERAL MILLS US 304
ADEKA CORPORATION 207
JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY 196
NOVOZYMES DK 186
INTERCONTINENTAL GREAT BRANDS (KRAFT FOODS) US 181
NESTEC CH 177
NESTLE CH 171