Bakery snacks saw a relatively flat year per IRI, Chicago, with 0.16 percent growth to $3.4 billion. Grupo Bimbo far outperformed the category average, though, with growth of 14.48 percent to $249.4 million.

According to IBISWorld, tortilla production in the U.S. has grown 3 percent in the past five years thanks to the fact that tortillas, especially ones boosted with ingredients like spinach and whole wheat, are perceived to be healthier than bread during a time when consumers value nutrition.

Archer Daniels Midland Company has introduced a line of consistent, high quality and high performing organic flours.

Buckle up. The top trend driving innovation in the snack and bakery industries has no formal definition, isn't regulated, and is shifting all of the time. Yes, clean label demands are touching every facet of the food industry, from formulation to packaging and marketing, and everything in between.

Artisan baking goes hand-in-hand with high-quality ingredients. And as more artisan baking emerges in the market, ancient grains and heirloom wheats can be important differentiators.

Bay State Milling has announced its partnership with internationally recognized nutrition expert Jill Weisenberger, MS, RD, CDE, to promote the remarkable benefits of HealthSense high fiber wheat flour within the healthcare community.

Anyone who thinks the gluten-free market has peaked needs to think again. According to a December 2018 report from Zion Market Research, the global gluten-free product market was valued at around $4.72 billion in 2017. By 2024, that value is expected to nearly double to reach $7.6 billion.

Two areas of frozen bakery products that have seen strong traction over the past year are frozen breakfast items like waffles and frozen pizza, with trends like clean label, premium offerings and health-conscious considerations factoring into growth.

Every new year, people make resolutions to break bad habits or start good ones. Generally, everyone is focused on self-improvement and wellness.

Bread is the most-important category in the baking industry, but also one of the most-challenging for building appreciable growth. For the 52 weeks ending November 4, 2018, the fresh bread and rolls category grew 0.13 percent in dollar sales to $13.4 billion, per IRI, Chicago.