Frozen foods and snacks are meeting no shortage of challenges in the marketplace according to the “Frozen Foods in the U.S.: Hot Meals, Sides, and Snacks” report from Packaged Facts.
Companies have been releasing a wide range of new ovens and proofers suited to snack and bakery operations, and the diversity is sure to cultivate a strong level of appeal across the board. This new range of equipment focuses on ease of use, technical improvements, better sanitary design and new levels of efficiency.
In today’s bakery industry, a diverse and wide-ranging collection of initiatives come together under the umbrella of environmental sustanability, touching on equipment design, bakery management, ingredient sourcing, product packaging, operational logistics and more.
Warehouse automation has evolved significantly in recent years to a level where warehouse execution systems (WES) are now available to streamline material flow and order picking. These systems offer bakeries and snack producers a better way to store and ship goods to market.
Nuts and seeds have long remained dietary staples. But these days, consumers have started to realize the wide range of diversity that these ingredients offer.
Retail-ready packaging (RRP) solutions range from large corrugated boxes with loose packages to smaller, notched paperboard holders for stand-up display of carded packages. Retailers benefit from RRP because it gives them shelf-ready inventory in seconds, cutting the time it takes to check in and stock shelves.
Several foodservice segments central to snack and bakery businesses continue to demonstrate strong levels of innovation. New chains focused on customization have emerged, while others continually shift and evolve to capture away-from-home food dollars from competitors.
Many aspects of mixing equipment for snack and bakery applications, including doughs and batters, continue to evolve, including more automated controls, better sanitary design, vacuum/pressure capabilities and shorter cycling times.