Consumer demand for baked goods and snacks that are ready-to-eat, portable and single-serve continues to grow. It’s not surprising, then, that more individually packaged, grab-and-go cookies, bars, pastries, cheesecake slices, sandwiches and other products are turning up on retail shelves.
“We are seeing an increased demand for slicing equipment,” says Sandra Ryan, vice president of operations, Ryan Technology Inc., Hillsboro, OR. “Consumers are after convenience products, and that means pre-sliced bakery products that are ready-to-eat. Single-serve is also a big driver. We’ve seen an increase in inquires coming from customers that are looking to slice before the product goes into a flow wrapper.”