Interview from Mr.Robert Ouyoung, Founder & Chairman, ANKO Food Machine Company
ANKO is dedicated to providing our clients around t he World with the best a utomated food production s olutions, enabling them to a chieve greater success.
Fresh n Frozen : Could you brief us the history of Anko Food Machine Company?
Robert Ouyoung : I graduated from the Department of Horticulture at Chinese Culture University in Taipei, Taiwan. After working for a landscaping company, I realized it wasn’t my true calling. I returned to my father’s business, a manufacturing company producing bamboo ski poles.Although the business initially found success, it eventually went bankrupt after some international clients failed to pay us. Despite the setback, I believed in my ability to do business and sought out innovations that could stand out in the market. Many people suggested I look into food machines. With the help of my wife and family, I decided to pursue this new direction. At the time, most machines were imported from China.
These machines were smaller and had lower production capacity, but they were impressive nonetheless. That inspired me to start a business. My brother, a mechanical engineer, and I began improving these machines to offer better products. We started with machines for Chinese foods— dumplings, spring rolls, shumai—and entered the international market by exhibiting in Europe. That’s where we landed our first big deals. If I remember correctly, our earliest customers were Chinese families in France and Germany who ran their own food businessesSince then, we’ve sold to 114 countries and have developed a deep understanding of our customers’ needs in food preparation and production.
As we grew, we began developing machines for more international foods like pelmeni, pierogi, and samosas. This led us to discover new recipes, new fillings, and continually improve the quality and service of our machines. I helped introduce Taiwan’s food machine industry to the global stage. Many local manufacturers teamed up with me at international exhibitions, and some went on to build successful businesses of their own. Thanks to these efforts, I now serve as the Honorary Chairman of the Taiwan Food & Pharmaceutical Machinery Manufacturers’ Association.
FNF : What’s one client feedback that changed everything in your design?
RO : There are several factors we take into consideration when building our machines and optimizing food production. We study the market’s real needs and make informed predictions to ensure we create solutions that make production hassle-free, convenient, clean, and fast—without requiring an increase in labor—so our customers can focus on growing their business. ANKO has in-house food experts and food machine engineers who work together to strike the right balance between speed and taste, ensuring that the products made with ANKO machines meet market standards.
We’ve developed several machines for a specific product, like our Burrito Machine that evenly wraps burritos, or our Spring Roll machine that makes tasty rolls starting from its pastry, then cuts it, fills it, rolls it all automatically. Our next big challenge was making something that wasn’t ever madebefore, and that the market was longing for. This is exactly why we developed our latest Punjabi Samosa Forming Machine. To make this machine we first ate many samosas! We also learned to make samosas on our own with the right ingredients of course, and asked for professional feedback from Indian cooks as well. We gathered feedback, made adjustments, and created a new mechanism that folds the pastry, fills it evenly, and seals each samosa with high precision.
FNF : Which region surprised you with its food automation love?
RO : We are a global company, which gives us a unique opportunity to observe diverse trends across the world—including in India. India has been one of the fastest-growing economies in recent years, and it is expected to continue expanding in the near future. This development is likely to have a positive impact on the food industry. From our experience, New Delhi stands out as one of the fastest-growing regions in the food machine sector. However, as wages rise, labor costs become a growing concern for companies aiming to stay competitive. For many, investing in food machines that reduce the need for manual labor becomes a valuable strategy. While samosa production can now be automated, we’ve also seen growing interest in a wider variety of foods. Indian consumers have shown strong enthusiasm for spring rolls in various flavors, and momos are becoming increasingly trendy as well. In other parts of the world, countries like France and Spain have exceeded our expectations in how quickly they’ve adopted food production technology.
FNF : What do small manufacturers want the most these days?
RO : Small size manufacturers often look for machines that are versatile and easy to operate. Many appreciate the efficiency and flexibility of the HLT-700U Multipurpose Filling and Forming Machine, which enables the production of a wide range of items. One hour, they might make samosas; the next, momos; and later, apple pies. These machines open the door to many possibilities, and when customers want to develop new products, we’re always ready to help. Customers in the baking sector usually have more specialized knowledge; for example, understanding fermentation is key for bread making. These customers often choose the SD-97 Series, which supports the production of various types of breads, cookies, and traditional Indian desserts like rasgulla, gulab jamun, and cham cham. Another ANKO machine series that has gained popularity in India is the SRP Series, ideal for producing spring roll or samosa pastry. It’s an excellent solution for preparing handmade products with greater efficiency.
FNF : Post-pandemic — have customer needs shifted for good?
RO : The pandemic heightened global awareness of cleanliness and disease prevention. It was a challenging time for everyone. We also noticed a rising trend, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, toward more machine-assisted food production. As kitchens became smarter, businesses were able to continue operating while most people stayed home, and food pickup through chain restaurants and supermarkets became safer and more efficient. In the post-pandemic world, inflation forced many companies to shut down, reducing the pool of buyers for our solutions. At the same time, it brought in a new wave of customers with a forward-thinking mindset, who tend to make decisions faster and are more eager to invest in long-term innovation.
FNF : Soft, sticky, flaky, creamy — how do your machines handle it all?
RO : Well, isn’t that great! We test run our customer’s recipe on our machines and support them in making adjustments to achieve all these textures.
FNF : Which food product feels like the “next big thing” to automate?
RO : Now that there’s a machine capable of making 900 Punjabi samosas per hour in a process that is sanitary, simple, and efficient Punjabi samosa is surely the next big thing. This is exactly what many in the industry are looking for. Indian food is something no one wants to miss it’s simply delicious! In addition, Indian communities around the world have done a remarkable job of introducing Indian cuisine globally, making people everywhere crave its bold and familiar flavors. If Punjabi samosas were sold in chain restaurants with a variety of flavors—like companies such as Samosa Singh, Samosa Party, and Samosa Junction do in India; it could spark a major trend. ANKO will be there, ready with the machines to make it happen, and to eat their ready meal combos too!
FNF : What does ANKO do differently that earns long-term trust?
RO : As mentioned, I serve as the Honorary Chairman of the Taiwan Food & Pharmaceutical Machinery Manufacturers’ Association and have been involved in this industry since its early days in Taiwan. Over the past 47 years, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that customers need reliable suppliers. ANKO is an ideal partner for both distributors and food producers. What we offer to our global customers is more than just machines —we provide continuous support. This includes recipe customization, business consultation to help customers forecast earnings, and expert advice on selecting the most suitable solutions based on their production volume. Our after-sales services include maintenance, production line optimization, and access to tools like ANKO Support+, an online platform designed to help customers get the most out of their machines. We also support distributors and clients with tailored machine training programs and make it a priority to listen to customer feedback for ongoing improvement. Additionally, ANKO food machines are customizable, allowing producers to create unique food products that stand out in the market.
FNF : Do clients come for machines — and stay for the guidance?
RO : Of course, some of our clients have tried certain foods before, but they don’t always know how to make them. Sometimes they come to us because they believe it could be the next product they want to produce. Har gow, for example, is a very tasty dumpling, but some of our customers didn’t know how to make it in the beginning, so we explained the process and guided them through it, then they decided the adjustments they wanted to make to make it their own.
FNF : How do you make machines friendly for any kitchen crew?
RO : ANKO food machines are designed with a three-step operation, featuring a user-friendly interface, safety mechanisms to help prevent accidents, and are fully integratable into existing or new production lines. For users new to our machines, we provide comprehensive training and support to ensure they can operate them with confidence. In kitchen environments, many of our machines are compact and quiet, making it easy for multiple staff members to work comfortably in the same space at the same time.
Interview from Mr.Richard Ouyang, General Manager,
ANKO Food Machine Company
FNF : Any success story where a brand scaled big — with your help?
Richard Ouyang : In order to boost sales and meet market demands, a Bangladeshi company needed to upgrade its Paratha production line. With ANKO’s help, the company achieved a production increase of over 700% and enhanced the paratha’s presentation by making it six times fluffier. Achieved 12,000 pieces per hour and 100,000 pieces daily. We made 36-layer Paratha, and optimized dough temperature and humidity for consistent 65g/80g pieces.
FNF : How does your company integrate sustainability into its supply chain practices, and what steps are taken to ensure that suppliers meet environmental and social responsibility standards?
RO : At our company, we believe that advancing sustainability across the supply chain requires collaboration, not just compliance. In Taiwan, many of our suppliers are small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that may not yet have the resources or capacity to implement full ESG strategies. Rather than imposing strict requirements, we focus on education and partnership —we share ESG-related knowledge and guide them through practical steps such as energy management and responsible sourcing. For example, we regularly engage ESG consultants to help our internal teams better understand ESG principles and how to apply them in daily operations. We record these sessions and turn them into accessible video content, which we then share with our supplier partners. This approach allows us to build awareness, foster dialogue, and move forward together on the path to sustainability. At the same time, we actively seek out materials and partners that align with ESG values to ensure that our supply chain reflects our commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
FNF : In what ways does your company support local communities through CSR initiatives, and how do you measure the impact of these initiatives?
RO : ANKO supports local communities through a series of CSR programs aimed at promoting welfare, equity, and inclusivity. Key initiatives including charity sales and community fundraising campaigns, and regular employee volunteer events to support local causes. These efforts help ANKO engage with the public beyond business. The company measures impact through participation rates, direct feedback from community partners, and alignment with the B Corp standards for social impact and transparency.. Key initiatives include: Charity sales and community fundraising campaigns Regular employee volunteer events to support local causes
FNF : Can you explain how your company engages employees in CSR efforts and fosters a culture of corporate responsibility within the workplace?
RO : ANKO became a Certified B Corp in April of 2025. In June, 2025 the HLT-700U Multipurpose Filling and Forming Machine passed the ISO14067 an international standard that provides principles, requirements, and guidelines for quantifying and reporting the carbon footprint of a product (CFP). In June, 2025 ANKO also received the Green Vision Award (British Standards Institution) for our efforts in reshaping our relationship with the environment and our business-to business collaborations. At ANKO, we’re driven by a clear sense of purpose. We integrate social and environmental responsibility into everything we do. It’s important to us that our work contributes to tackling global challenges in a practical and collaborative way. In 2024, we made steady progress toward our environmental goals. We reduced our energy consumption by 1%, cut water usage by 10%, and improved overall energy efficiency by 3%. We also worked on enhancing the eco-performance of our food machinery to help lower carbon emissions in food production settings. It’s a step-by-step journey, but we’re committed to making a meaningful impact. Beyond minimizing environmental impact, we also focus on inclusive economic growth. For example, we actively support NGOs and create job opportunities for individuals with visual impairments, which we believe adds real value to the communities we serve. ANKO offers a competitive salary, benefits, and clear growth opportunities, ensuring employees feel valued and secure. Safety and fire prevention training Internal communication platforms like ANKO TALKS Employee participation in CSR volunteer events