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The gluten-free market continues to grow. Euromonitor reports that global sales hit $3.5 billion in 2016, up 12.6 percent compared to the previous year, and global gluten-free sales are projected to reach $4.7 billion by 2020. In this still-expanding market for gluten-free, snack producers and bakeries continue to develop strategies for growth and product improvement.

For the 20th year, the Food Safety Summit will be providing an in-depth schedule of education sessions when it returns to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL May 7-10, 2018.

According to Maru/Matchbox, Toronto, sustainable products that were once considered premium are being pushed into the mainstream as consumers become more invested in the environmental and humanitarian implications of their food choices.

Greater product variety and increasing consumer attention to quality are among key factors driving snack producers and bakeries to update their inspection and detection equipment with models that, among other features, detect ever-smaller foreign objects and reduce false rejects.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software helps producers improve efficiency and day-to-day operations. New software can help snack and bakery companies increase their financial success, and there are a variety of ERP technologies from which to choose.

Fresh bread, bagels and English muffins comprise the largest segment in bakery, valued at over $10 billion per IRI, Chicago. But sales overall remain relatively flat. Nevertheless, several strategic options exist for bakers to infuse new life into bread sales.

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.

More people are growing increasingly aware of the amount of sugar in their diets. The 2017 "Food & Health Survey" from the International Food Information Council found that 76 percent of respondents were trying to limit or avoid sugar.

Confession: one of my favorite things to do is watch my favorite TV shows and bring some chips or another snack onto the couch with me.