Snack and Bakery Top Stories

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Product purchase and consumption patterns in America point toward a desire for affordable simplicity in our foods. This has catalyzed ongoing product development efforts to meet increasing consumer demand for natural and organic snacks. And efforts to bring cleaner snacking options to more Americans find increased success when retailers can offer such simplified products at affordable price points.

Lest anyone think that the pandemic pressed "pause" on campaigns for corporate sustainability, think again. If anything, COVID-19 reminded consumers, and the snack and bakery sectors, just how interconnected we are, whether we’re selecting suppliers, expanding production, or packing a protein bar into our gym bags.

Snack food and wholesale bakery manufacturers in the market for dividers, depositors and rounders have a long list of considerations. These include automation, reliability, scalability, integration, flexibility, communication, customization, ease of maintenance and sanitation, and different packaging capabilities, according to companies that produce such machines.

The latest product handling equipment, cartoners, case erectors and packers, loaders and palletizers, are designed to meet the needs of bakery and snack producers as well as consumers in a fast-changing marketplace. These flexible systems can run a large array of SKUs and they feature quick-change capabilities.

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery was recently able to chat with United Soybean Board consultants Jean Heggie and Pam Smith, RDN, Shaping America's Plate, about soy ingredients for baking and frying, as well as the versatility of soybean oil.

Unsurprisingly, salty snacks experienced a slight increase in sales over the past year, as Americans stayed home during the pandemic. Chips, popcorn, pretzels, and tortilla chips are all easily available snacks to munch on at home, especially during movie nights, and as a result the category experienced a small uptick.

Cloud kitchens, also known as ghost kitchens, present an emerging market opportunity for the baking industry. Multiple segments that intersect with baking show potential, including direct-to-consumer bakery click-and-collect or delivery of fresh breads, sweet goods, desserts, and novel concepts like automated dessert carry-out via vending

Striking the right balance between indulgence and better-for-you is important in winning over the consumer. The pandemic has heightened consumers' interest in health and well-being.

SNAXPO21, taking place August 22–24 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC, will offer multiple opportunities for snack industry leaders to explore emerging flavor innovations as part of the in-person event’s broad scope of business opportunities. SNAXPO, produced by SNAC International, is the most-comprehensive event completely dedicated to the snack industry.