Hillshire Brands Co. agrees to acquire Van’s Natural Foods from private equity firm Catterton Partners for $165 million. The purchase would broaden Hillshire’s portfolio of frozen food products and extend the company’s reach into gluten-free products, cereal and snack categories.
Food processing and packaging firms are increasingly affected by consumer moves to avoid gluten, dairy, soy and other ingredients, according to Packaged Facts. They want more ‘free-from’ allergen-type foods.
The popularity of Hispanic cuisine, interest in better-for-you foods and mealtime versatility are just some of the reasons why consumers and foodservice operators are buying more tortillas.
Gluten-free pizza now appears on 38% of menus offering gluten-free items. Pizza is the leading gluten-free dish, after salad, across all menus and all meal parts, according to Food Genius' research.
Better-for-you options and innovative flavors have been a large part of the overall snack industry. Now, they’re making their way into the extruded snacks segment.
Bakers who are considering adding bars, cakes, muffins and other niche products to their offerings will find that, in many cases, the equipment they need already exists.