Consumers are reading labels more, looking for products that are nutritious, with ingredients that are easy to understand and that work with their family's budget. While there's no official definition of "clean label," consumers and the snack and bakery industry have their own definition in mind.

Consumers want to achieve better overall health and wellness, and adding more dietary protein and fiber helps. FDA defines dietary fiber as "certain naturally occurring fibers that are 'intrinsic and intact' in plants, and added isolated or synthetic non-digestible soluble and insoluble carbohydrates that FDA has determined have beneficial physiological effects to human health."

While taste will remain a dominant factor for all food products, health, wellness and the nutritional value of the product is growing in importance. Several studies point to the fact that consumers are looking to achieve better overall wellness by selecting foods and ingredients that provide a functional health benefit.

There was a time, not so long ago, when nutritional boundaries were more clear-cut. "Indulgent foods weren't healthy," says Mel Festejo, COO, American Key Food Products, Closter, NJ. "They either had a surfeit of nutrients that triggered health issues, or they contained ingredients whose names raised anxiety."

Companies that make pans for the baking industry, whether for breads, baguettes, muffins, cookies, cakes, pies, etc., are focused on issues like larger sizes, a desire for energy and material efficiency, stick resistance, and the ability to help produce specialty and artisanal products.

RATIONAL has announced the launch of the iCombi Pro in the United States.

Bakery of the year profile of CAULIPOWER, maker of cauliflower crust pizzas, tortillas, and other products.

Milk Specialties Global has doubled its lactose production following the expansion of its west coast processing facility in Visalia, CA.

Idaho Milk Products recently promoted Pratishtha Verma to the position of research & development (R&D) scientist.

Bel Brands USA is excited to introduce its newest Boursin products developed for today's innovative chefs.

The white paper shares ways to overcome challenges associated with incorporating real dairy ingredients.

Albertsons Companies is introducing its private label lineup of Halloween-inspired treats, including from its newly launched Overjoyed brand.

Flavors of the new pastries include cherry, bacon, lemon, apple, praline, and Speculoos.

According to SF&WB's 2019 State of the Industry analysis, the frozen retail pizza segment increased by 4.8 percent from 2018 to 2019 and has hit $5.0 billion in annual retail sales, per IRI.

Haas-Meincke food technologists helped develop Hup Seng recipes for its cookie assortment, which have been awarded with the Monde Selection International High Quality Trophy.

The Hinds-Bock 10P-01 high speed mini products depositor provides large production in a small space.

Cost, safety, efficiency, footprint, operator familiarity, and the ability to meet regulations are among the key factors that snack and bakery facilities need to consider when deciding whether to keep and refurbish an old piece of equipment, or send it to the scrap heap and buy new.

Puratos Classics, a new range of highly concentrated flavoring compounds, offers fruit fillings.

Fruit ingredients and nutritional bar products are a natural fit.

While there are many ways to enjoy snacking on prunes, Sunsweet created these new products to deliver on the increased consumer demand for better-for-you snacks.

Fruits can add a pop of color, flavor, and texture to snack and bakery products, but with consumers being more mindful of health and wellness, the use of fruits has expanded beyond the traditional uses. 

MECATHERM has joined forces with ABI LTD to launch MECABAGEL, an industrial production solution for bagels that is unmatched on the market.

Better Brand, Inc., a food tech startup, has announced plans to launch its first product, The Better Bagel—turning one of the most carb-heavy foods into the carb equivalent of ½ of an orange, or 1/5th of a banana.

Panera products at grocery now have new look, feel for elevated presentation.

The producer has introduced The Pretzel and The Sesame flavors to the low-carb line.

The varied innovations include protein bars, smaller-sized loaves, breakfast items, flatbreads, and a new keto bun, among others, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to developing new and differentiated products across its portfolio.

Tortillas, always one of the most versatile breads, had extra mileage to accomplish this past year: consumers wanted better-for-you options for their tacos, flautas, and fajitas. They also wanted these to be easily accessible at their local grocery stores so that they could cook at home during the pandemic.

Grains are a fundamental ingredient for snack and bakery products. They provide taste, texture, nutritional, and functional benefits. Consumers have a growing interest in wholesome plant-based foods and ingredients

Good Source Foods has announced the expansion of its snack line with the addition of Ancient Grains clusters for mindful eaters of all ages.

In response to continued consumer demand for label-friendly ingredients, Cargill has expanded its processing capabilities of its sweetener plant in Cikande, Indonesia, to more than double the company’s production capacity for organic, non-GMO tapioca syrup.

The sweetener is 90% as sweet as sucrose while containing 60% fewer calories.

An expert from the company outlines trends in sweeteners, and how producers can deliver.

The August 20 webinar will offer insights on boosting speed and cost savings.

There are a growing number of gluten-free products in the marketplace

August marked the completion of the gluten-free labeling rule development process. Published in August 2013 by FDA, the final rule put parameters around the voluntary use of the terms “gluten-free,” “free of gluten,” “no gluten” and “without gluten” on food labels.

Thanks to their new 22,000-sq.-ft. production facility in Cudahy, Wis., the folks at Angelic Bakehouse now have the room, additional equipment and the structure they need to efficiently produce sprouted whole-grain breads, buns, rolls and flatbread/pizza crusts using an unusual process.

Ballreich Bros.’ 75,000-sq.-ft. potato chip and snack plant churns out 2,000-5,000 lb. of product an hour. Manufacturing product on a just-in-time basis, the family owned and operated company in Tiffin, Ohio, also produces new Sweet Potato Chips and shoestring Potato Sticks in three flavors.

From flavors to popular culture, what’s hot and cool are what drives new products from the Battle Creek, Mich.-based company.

New fryers and oils enable bakers and snack producers to create more and better-for-you versions of the fried dough products and snacks consumers can’t live without.

The chips segment has grown quite lively over the past year, with new product areas emerging and others, like apple chips, seeing considerable growth and maturation. Snack producers are also starting to grow beyond potatoes, offering sweet potato, beet and parsnip chips.

Atkins has introduced a new creative campaign, "Atkins Way," an embodiment of the brand's new emotional brand positioning, along with a series of new product offerings.

Kellanova has rereleased a slew of seasonal products for autumn and Halloween.

The human-machine interface (HMI) is essential in an operator’s daily work, as it represents how he or she can use and control the equipment, via technology. These days, using an HMI is all about fostering an easy user experience.

Honeywell introduced its latest technology breakthroughs and innovative solutions for manufacturers, distribution centers, logistics providers, delivery firms and retailers to help drive efficiency across their supply chain operations.

 
 000
 WTNT83 KNHC 070848
 TCVAT3
 
 RAFAEL WATCH/WARNING ADVISORY NUMBER 15
 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL     AL182024
 348 AM EST THU NOV 7 2024
 
 .HURRICANE RAFAEL
 
 CAUTION...THIS PRODUCT ONLY APPROXIMATELY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF
 TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND AND SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PLEASE SEE
 THE LATEST PUBLIC ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR
 THE PRECISE LATERAL EXTENT OF WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ALONG THE
 COAST...AS WELL AS THE APPROXIMATE LATERAL EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES
 AND WARNINGS. THE PRECISE EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE HAZARD
 GRIDS.
 
 FLZ077-078-071000-
 /O.CAN.KNHC.TR.W.1018.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
 348 AM EST THU NOV 7 2024
 
 $$
 
 ATTN...WFO...KEY...
 

 
 000
 WTPZ84 KNHC 210907
 TCVEP4
 
 HILARY WATCH/WARNING ADVISORY NUMBER 20
 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL     EP092023
 207 AM PDT MON AUG 21 2023
 
 .POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE HILARY
 
 CAUTION...THIS PRODUCT ONLY APPROXIMATELY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF
 TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND AND SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PLEASE SEE
 THE LATEST PUBLIC ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR
 THE PRECISE LATERAL EXTENT OF WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ALONG THE
 COAST...AS WELL AS THE APPROXIMATE LATERAL EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES
 AND WARNINGS. THE PRECISE EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE HAZARD
 GRIDS.
 
 CAZ043-048-050-055>058-060>062-065-087-088-358-362-366>383-548-552-
 554-211015-
 /O.CAN.KNHC.TR.W.2009.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
 207 AM PDT MON AUG 21 2023
 
 $$
 
 ATTN...WFO...LOX...SGX...
 

A product with a "Made in America" label is not necessarily made in the United States. It could be made in Canada or Mexico. Do you want products made in America or the USA?

There’s nothing worse than coming home to find a burst pipe or malfunctioning water heater has flooded your basement. It’s perhaps why leak detection and prevention products continue to become more popular each year.

John Wallace, owner of Atlanta-based JM Wallace Plumbing, has been offering leak detection solutions since 2007, but it’s only recently during the last few years where he’s really seen the technology take off.

In April, Niagara held a virtual launch event, announcing its new Niagara Wholesale Program and more than 100 new products designed to help wholesalers serve the needs of their plumbing professional clients by offering advanced technology and high performance for those looking for a wide variety of water-efficient products.