Articles by Melissa Kvidahl Reilly

Once a simple snack aisle staple, the humble pretzel is experiencing a resurgence, as restaurant menus tap into the classic flavors of this ubiquitous snack. According to Mintel, Chicago, there has been significant growth in the number of pretzel buns on menus recently, to the tune of 97 percent more items on menus than in previous years.

Crackers remain one of the most- important segments in snacks, valued at $7.4 billion. And current innovations related to ingredients, formats and flavor profiles could drive more growth over the coming year.

They’re wedding cake stand-ins, they’re topped with everything from sweet breakfast cereal to bacon, and they’re popping right off the breakfast plate and onto restaurant menus nationwide. It’s safe to say designer doughnuts are having a moment.

If there’s one place consumers are willing to indulge in something decadent, it might be at their favorite restaurant. And when it comes to the end of the meal and the prized desserts that await, research from Datassential, Chicago, shows that consumers are still choosing sweets.

In a report released last year, market research firm Euromonitor International examined the meal replacement segment, including snack and nutritional bars. What they found was that the space is in a state of transformation.

Whether center-of-store or along the perimeter in the fresh bakery section, sweet goods are on the rise. According to the 2017 “What’s in Store” report from the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association, in-store bakeries have experienced much success over the past five years, soaring 51 percent in total annual sales to reach $15.7 billion dollars, enjoying a 7.9 percent increase in the past year alone.

It’s rare for a food product to check so many boxes in the minds of consumers that it becomes, essentially, universally beloved. But such is the case for snack and nutritional bars.

If there’s one trend that touches nearly every area of the food industry—from formulation to marketing, from ingredients to finished products—it’s clean label.

Sustainability means different things to different people. For some, it’s all about minimizing emissions or reducing the carbon footprint. For others, it’s strengthening local economies and communities.

Some snack categories today are tough to crack. According to data from IRI, Chicago, dollar sales in the crackers category during the 52 weeks ending September 4, 2016 rose 0.98 percent to reach $7.4 billion.