The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus was known for his central belief that change is constant, a point clearly illustrated by the fantastic innovation seen across every bakery category today. Yet bread is the oldest form of food known to humankind, dating back thousands of years. And we still eat it today.
As much as the tortilla category stays the same, it also has been striving to include more clean-label, non-GMO, and organic options. The standard white flour or corn tortilla that you see on grocery shelves will continue to persist, but consumers may see vegetable options like sweet potato tortillas alongside them, too.
Doughnuts now run the gamut from sweet to savory, and there are no flavor combinations that are off limits: you might see a Fruity Pebbles doughnut, and maple bacon has become commonplace. And growth continues.
With health and wellness trends leading the way across the food industry, how does a sweet and indulgent category like dessert fare? Apparently, consumers aren’t quite ready to let go of their beloved desserts.
While the core market for buns and rolls across retail and foodservice remains steadily anchored in tradition, specialized niches continue to grow, building incremental category interest, and revenue.
At first glance, it might not seem that the bread aisle has changed all that much of late. Many of the same traditional products are performing as expected.
But look closer, and you'll see sliced bread products that look remarkably like their artisan cousins. Dig deeper, and clearly organic is starting to surface with more regularity.
Bakery snacks like snack cakes have always been an indulgent category. And even as nutritionally improved products continue to trend-forward in other industry categories, snack cake sales don’t waver.
When it comes to pizza, consumers aren't lukewarm: Those who like it are committed to their favorite convenient meal. According to Mintel's latest U.S. pizza market report, more than one-third of consumers who purchase frozen pizza from their local grocery store do so two or three times a month or more.
Healthier ingredients, bolder tastes and more convenient, on-the-go formats are top trends in the snack bar category. This healthier mindset has brought an emphasis on higher protein, along with and lower carbs, higher fiber and a cleaner label.
New and different flavors, portions and sizes styled for families on the go, and a mix of healthier ingredients including more protein are front and center for manufacturers of frozen breakfast products like pancakes, waffles and French toast.
The word indulgence is often used in any discussion of cookies. And while that still holds true, more better-for-you, healthy options are hitting the shelves. But regardless of the protein levels in cookies, consumers are still looking for treats with appealing flavor combinations that taste good and offer a multi-dimensional bite.
We have long valued the strong partnership our staff at Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery has forged with Chicago-based market research leader IRI to provide fresh data for our category trend insights in every regular issue of the magazine. Relying on this single source of data keeps our year-over-year analysis consistent, and working with current data each month keeps our insights fresh.