In my first column in February, I highlighted the rapid growth of the gluten-free market and provided an overview of conditions that require a gluten-free diet for treatment, as well as other reasons why consumers may be following it.
There’s a nationally celebrated day or month for everything: National Hairdressers’ Day, National Bath Safety Month; Run up the Flagpole and See if Anyone Salutes Day and even Houseplant Appreciation Day.
The Grain Foods Foundation (GFF) will launch its spring RISE campaign this month. The campaign is designed to highlight the role that bread and grains play in providing the energy consumers need to rise to any and all occasions.
Agnetha Faltskog once said that, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, without a sense of ironic futility…” Otto von Bismarck has said, “The main thing is to make history, not to write it.” We certainly can’t pretend to know the past of baking or snack food manufacturing. But with April marking the 100th anniversary of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, we cannot help but revisit some of the amazing past in these fascinating markets of ours.
We all know that little things can add up to big savings, and many of those little things are bakery basics in the plant. When was the last time you checked your compressed air system operating pressure or the flame on your oven burners? If you can’t remember, then it’s time to get back to the basics and keep tabs on things we might be taking for granted. A little preventative maintenance can go a long way.
This past year has been an exciting one for the baking industry, especially in terms of the progress made on revising the ANSI/ASB Z50.2 Bakery Equipment Sanitation Standard (formerly known as the “BISSC Standard”). Representatives from across the baking industry, including bakers, bakery engineers, bakery equipment manufacturers and academics have come together to give their input on updating this standard.
National Nutrition Month is here once again, and this year’s theme is “Get Your Plate in Shape.” In honor of the first National Nutrition Month (NNM) since the release of MyPlate, this March is dedicated to reminding consumers about the importance of following MyPlate’s guidelines, with a special emphasis on calorie balance and portion control.
Despite today’s economic problems, baked goods have remained “an affordable splurge.” Perhaps they’ve maintained that status because of the bad economy. It’s no wonder: People do tend to treat themselves sometimes when the going gets tough. Who wouldn’t when the pressure’s on?
You know the saying, “you never know what true love is until you have a child of your own?” Well, for the past 10 months, that’s all I’ve been hearing (that, and endless amounts of “advice”).
Nearly unheard of a decade ago, the gluten-free market has grown exponentially in recent years. According to the Packaged Facts report, “Gluten-Free Foods and Beverages in the U.S.,” this product group showed a 30% compound annual growth rate between 2006 and 2010, and the category is expected to balloon to more than $5 billion by 2015. These increases are a reflection of the development of new gluten-free products as well as the conversion of existing gluten-containing products to meet consumer demand.
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