The snack bar market has blossomed at twice the rate of other snack food sectors and at almost three times the rate of the overall packaged food sector during the past 10 years, says Rabobank Group’s latest report, ‘Never Eat More Than You Can Lift.’ One of the leaders of the pack in the category is Clif Bar & Co., according to the report.

Jack Link’s Beef Jerky agrees to purchase a packaged meat snack products plant in Bellevue, Neb., from Skylark Meats, LLC, a subsidiary of American Foods Group, LLC.

An ingredient presentation on non-nutritive sweeteners points to sucralose as the second most popular in tracked global product launches from 2010-2011. Acesulfame K is still number one, due to its sweetener capabilities in different applications.

For the past two decades or more, America’s businesses have been working to connect with the nation’s largest ethnic and fastest-growing demographic group: the Hispanic consumer. Unfortunately, many companies use an approach that rests more on stereotypes than it does on the realities of modern, acculturated Hispanic households.

More than ever, businesses are gearing up to help the environment, and regulators are preparing new guidelines to police them, but consumers aren’t paying as much attention if it’s going to cost more, as shoppers are resisting premium prices.

The number of product launches tracked by Innova Market Insights so far in 2012 containing one or more natural sweeteners including agave syrup/nectar, palm sugar, Stevia and monk fruit has more than tripled compared to the same time frame in 2009.

The nation’s largest home-delivery pizza chain has plunged into the $6.4-billion pan pizza category. Pan pizzas are thicker than conventional products and cooked in special pans. Domino’s began selling handmade pan pizzas last week at nearly 5,000 of its outlets.

Marketers of beef jerky, a favorite of truckers and a staple at gas-station checkouts, want it to be a healthier snack. Makers of the spicy, salty dried treat find that consumers can accept turkey versions and are now stepping up sales with moister, tastier and fancier dried-meat products, some in flavors such as Basil Citrus and Lemon Garlic.

According to Packaged Facts’ recently released report, “The Pizza Market in the U.S.: Foodservice and Retail,” sales at pizza restaurants will reach $36.1 billion in 2012, up 3.8% from 2011. At retail, U.S. frozen and refrigerated pizza will ring up sales of $4.91 billion.

Sorghum lends itself well to a source for syrup and molasses, but the sturdy crop deleted “has” is a good candidate for use as a bioenergy crop because of its drought tolerance, adaptability to diverse growing conditions, low nitrogen fertilizer requirements and high biomass (plant material) content, says the USDA.