A lawsuit forces General Mills to defend the accuracy of its ‘Natural’ labeling claims on its Nature Valley products. The labels state the products as natural when they contain highly processed ingredients.
American Bakers Association (ABA) president and CEO Robb MacKie expresses disappointment that the Senate voted against reforming the current U.S. sugar program ‘instead of passing a measure that could have saved bakers and consumers more than $3.5 billion a year in higher sugar costs.’
Innovative, better-for-you ingredients, cleaner labels and smaller sizes hit a hole in one in today’s bar category, which is growing faster than Phil Mikelson’s swing.
Consider this: Some 59% of Americans report making changes to their diet to improve their health, and 69% are trying to lose or maintain their weight, according to a 2011 International Food Informational Council Foundation study. Nine out of 10 Americans, or about 88%, believe that fortified foods and foods with added benefits have at least some impact on overall health.
Every day, we open our newspapers, trade publications, health journals and other forms of electronic communications. And every day, there is at least one story that lays the blame for America’s obesity and Type 2 diabetes epidemic on the demon: Sugar. But not all sugars are being blamed; it’s the added sugar that gets placed into foods unbeknownst to the average consumer who is not reading their food labels.
Summer is here—finally! It’s time to hit a few golf balls and kick back. It’s also time to peruse our annual State of the Industry issues (June and July). This month, we’re covering the bakery market, which includes the bread aisle, sweet goods, cookies, bars, snack cakes, frozen baked goods, tortillas, pies and more.
Watch out, golfing pros! Rookie cookie companies are charging down the green with unique ingredients and varieties, while classic brands are finding new ways to stay relevant within the market.
Cookies are a robust segment within the bakery industry. There are brands that have been around for decades and have become household names, but there are also many up-and-coming brands that offer unique flavors for niche markets and are set to become the next class of pros.
Baked goods have been a part of peoples’ diet for thousands of years, far longer than golfers have been hitting a little ball across a grassy surface with a long stick. As ingredients, production methods, distribution and a host of other factors have evolved, consumers at all income levels have been able to enjoy staples like breads and rolls, as well as sweet treats like cookies and pies.
According to new data from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD), out of more than 20,000 food and beverage products launched in the U.S. in 2011, ‘no high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)’ claims only accounted for about 400 new product introductions, or 2%. Some of the most frequent health-focused, on-package new product claims were ‘Low/No/Reduced Fat’ and ‘Low/No/Reduced Calories,’ which were used two to four times as often as ‘no HFCS.’
Last week, the American Bakers Association (ABA) urged the U.S. Senate to vote in favor of an amendment to the Agriculture Food, Farm and Jobs Act, or the Senate Farm Bill, reforming the current U.S. sugar program.
All-natural, zero-calorie sweeteners are being hailed as ‘Holy Grails of the food industry’ and ingredients that could fight obesity, says a report by market research group Euromonitor.