Fats, oils, starches, fiber, dough conditioners and texturizers all serve critical functional roles in snacks and baked goods, particularly maintaining the quality of the product throughout the desired shelf life. As consumers demand cleaner labels, more health-and-wellness benefits and better sustainability, product developers face a wide range of functional ingredient challenges.

Nuts, seeds and other inclusions add new dimensions of color, appearance, texture, nutrition, flavor and more to an increasing range of snack and bakery products. Nut and seed consumption has continued to increase over the past several years. One of the contributing factors to the growth is consumer awareness and interest in plant-based foods.

To help ensure a long-term sustainable red seaweed supply chain, Cargill has launched the Red Seaweed Promise.

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.

Tate & Lyle, a global provider of food and beverage ingredients and solutions, has announced the most recent addition to its line of CLARIA Clean Label Starches with the introduction of CLARIA EVERLAST.

As a natural gum coming from wild trees, Karaya gum is a natural and vegetal ingredient that can be used for many food and pharmaceutical applications.

BENEO, a manufacturer of functional ingredients, has announced the launch of its new precooked functional native rice starch, Remypure S52 P.

American Key Food Products (AKFP) has launched its Organic Native Tapioca Starch, adding a versatile, clean-label ingredient to its portfolio of specialized cassava-based and organic offerings.

Stabilizers such as thickeners, hydrocolloids, gums, and starches are a category of ingredients that many are probably not familiar with, yet they help create the desired texture, mouthfeel, and sensory characteristics of the product.

When wrapped, the expansion will boost the company's global modified and clean label specialty starches capacity.

Sourced from American Key Food Products' (AKFP) Asian production partner, native waxy tapioca starch is high in amylopectin, that possesses a combination of functionalities which make it an effective stabilizer, thickener, and emulsifier.

Despite competition from a variety of sources, frozen pizza manufacturers see themselves giving rivals a run for consumers’ money.

Nestle S.A. is adding a Product Technology Center to its R&D facility in Solon, Ohio. The $53 million facility will focus on frozen and chilled foods.

Consumers longing to take a trip around the world can do so just by stepping into their local grocery store.

Effective immediately, Dimitrios Smyrnios succeeds Gregory Flack as CEO of The Schwan Food Co.

Nestle USA plans to completely relocate its Northbrook, Ill.-based Nestle Pizza Division to Solon, Ohio, by mid-2014. The company’s pizza brands include DIGIORNO, California Pizza Kitchen, Tombstone and Jack’s.

Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest beef, chicken and pork processors and marketers, acquires the assets of Michigan pizza manufacturer Bosco’s Pizza Co.

Gluten-free pizza now appears on 38% of menus offering gluten-free items. Pizza is the leading gluten-free dish, after salad, across all menus and all meal parts, according to Food Genius' research.

To pizza and flatbread manufacturers, the secret to a great product goes way beyond the sauce. So what are the trends?

Pizza’s pretty popular. Nearly 13% of Americans eat pizza on any given day, according to a survey from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. The report also factored in the nutrient contribution of pizza consumption.

Little Lady Foods, Elk Grove Village, Ill., announces that it is seeking a new CEO and making several other management changes, as co-CEOs John and Dan Geocaris plan to step down from daily management of the company.

Amy’s Kitchen, Petaluma, Calif., expects to break ground, early next year, on a 500,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in Goshen, N.Y.

Panera Bread opens a bakery in New Haven, Conn., to test new products, reimagine favorites and experiment with staffing models.

Conventional frozen pizza has suffered some setbacks, but the outlook is good for brands that differentiate. The market still carries mass appeal, as consumers seek foods with unique flavors and ingredients. 

The Pittsfield, NH, manufacturer of ready-made pizza crusts and flatbread pizzas will break ground on a new facility on Aug. 14 as well as launch a program honoring first responders.

McCain Foods sells its frozen pizza business to Dr. Oetker, a move the company says will allow it to focus on other areas.

Rick Anderson is named president of the Elk Grove Village, IL, contract manufacturer of custom-made frozen food products.

Several factors are prompting the company to reduce its sales and earnings expectations for the fiscal year ending in May 2015.

Courtesy of Rich Products Corp., 5,000 pizzas will be delivered to soldiers serving overseas, via DHL Express, in time for the NFL championship game on Feb. 1.

To capture the attention of pizza consumers at retail, manufacturers need to focus on product attributes currently driving stronger performance in this relatively flat category.

As consumers seek gluten-free options, this flatbread concept takes a popular Southeast Asian turn and makes it approachable for those with certain dietary restrictions.

Freeze quality is essential when manufacturing well more than a million baked and prepared food items a day for shipment nationwide.

Schwan’s Consumer Brands’ new Bon Appétit frozen pizza features a thin, artisan crust.

To meet growing demand for sprouted grain foods, Angelic Bakehouse has added Sprouted Artisan Seven-Grain Premium Wraps to its flatbread line.

Better4U Gluten Free Sprouted Ancient Grains Pizzas from Better For You Foods are made with four sprouted gluten-free grains: quinoa, flax, millet and chia.

Did you miss the following new products, ingredients and equipment in and for the baking and snack industries on www.snackandbakery.com this week? If so, check them out now.

Schwan’s Consumer Brands recently launched an authentic Red Baron Brick Oven Pizza in three varieties.

Artisan salame maker Columbus Foods recently launched a ready-to-bake pizza line called Pizza Naturale.

Guests at many AMC locations can enjoy new artisan dishes and sweet treats, all designed to tantalize tastebuds and enhance the movie-going experience that help make movies better.

Papa Murphy’s Take ‘n’ Bake Pizza has announced the return of the crowd-favorite Taco Grande Pizza, from April 22 to May 19.

Upcycled Foods, Inc. has co-developed Upcycled Pizza Dough with DeIorio's Foods, Inc., a frozen dough manufacturer that's celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. 

After 12 years, Blaze Pizza is launching its biggest menu overhaul ever. 

The mashup makes its debut once again, satisfying the crave of the brand’s most requested menu item.

The collaboration includes four exclusive pizzas themed around the movie trilogy, while offering fans a chance at a variety of prizes.

Rich Products is expanding its portfolio of pizza doughs and crusts with the new Authentically Italian Pizza Portfolio, comprised of two Pinsas and three parbaked crusts.

Blaze Pizza is introducing two new spicy drizzles and four new menu items.

Genio’s Uncured Pepperoni Pizza is handmade in Italy using ingredients such as locally grown tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, hand torn Ligurian basil, and uncured pepperoni.

Screamin’ Sicilian Detroit Style Pizzas are available in four varieties: Cheese, Pepperoni, Supreme, and Multi-Meat.

The collab breaks new ground in pizza category with Nashville-style chicken and Mike’s Hot Honey – Extra Hot.

Aldi recently released its lineup of food and beverage, lifestyle products, and seasonal products for the autumn season.