More large U.S. food and beverage companies are dealing with the idea of ‘extended producer responsibility,’ and are recycling their product packaging as part of the cost of doing business. Last year, for example, some 11 million six-oz. yogurt cups were collected through a recycling program, according to Stonyfield Farm, the New Hampshire yogurt maker. Opposition to mandated responsibility for packaging after use is growing just as much, even among companies that are already required to do it abroad.
Here’s a glance at some of the breakthroughs, events, products and happenings that took place in the snack food industry within Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery’s 100-year existence and even a ‘tidbit’ before.
According to the website, ideafinder.com, we consume more than 4.3 billion lb. of snack food a year, which could be why snacks may soon end up becoming America’s favorite meal.
Consumer-products giant Procter & Gamble Co. says it wants to develop more products that are kinder to the environment. Yet, few consumers are willing to pay more for green products or make tradeoffs when it comes to product performance.
The company says it’s constructing a state-of-the-art research and development center in Hanover, Pa., located near one of its largest bakeries. The center will research, develop and enhance new and existing products across the entire line of Snyder’s-Lance snack foods.
Kraft Foods has been involved in sustainability projects for some time; the company has become more focused in the past few years by figuring out what matters most to its business and where it can have a ‘significant impact’ environmentally.
Many clean-label manufacturers are making headway in snack and bakery segments by creating exciting new foods for consumers to enjoy, proving that clean-label foods can also be tasty and satisfying.
Studies indicate that shoppers pay more attention to what they eat, which is driving development and reformulation of products with cleaner labels. But, do clean labels really mean clean foods?