Bakery snacks, including key segments like pastries, doughnuts, muffins, snack cakes and more, remain a staple in Americans' snacking routines. Whether shoppers are looking for an indulgent snack or a better-for-you item, there's something for everyone.
Consumers are reading labels more, looking for products that are nutritious, with ingredients that are easy to understand and that work with their family's budget. While there's no official definition of "clean label," consumers and the snack and bakery industry have their own definition in mind.
Over the past 15 years, Late July Snacks, the 2018 Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery "Snack Producer of the Year", has steadily grown its business to its position today as a leader in organic, non-GMO snacks, most notably its strong level of innovation in the tortilla chip category.
ColorKitchen, the manufacturer of colorful plant-based alternatives to traditional food dyes and sprinkles, has announced the debut of the country’s first naturally sourced, dye-free, Red Velvet and Confetti packaged gluten-free cake mixes.
When Sheldon Romer opened his small bakery in Boulder, CO in 1976, he sought to offer nutritious, preservative-free breads and other baked goods to a local audience yearning for authenticity, people who were seeking a deeper connection to their food.
Chefs and food scientists alike are still focusing on developing the next new groundbreaking snack, but now with a back-to-basics approach focusing on whole and natural food ingredients to meet consumer demands.
The desire for safe, healthy food isn't necessarily new, but it has been picking up steam ... big time. While the FDA may not have a definition for what exactly counts as a "clean label," consumers are asking to buy them. As bakers, we need to simplify our formulas with natural solutions.
Milk, cheese and eggs are dietary staples. In the U.S., on average, we consume 36.6 pounds of cheese, 268 eggs and 18 gallons of milk per person each year, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. From 2014–16, the consumption of eggs grew 1.9 percent and the consumption of cheese grew almost 6.5 percent.