It's safe to say COVID-19 has made its mark on the food industry. People are cooking more at home than they used to.

State of the Industry analysis of the fresh bread category, including sandwich and loaf bread products, bagels, and English muffins.

As recovery from the pandemic continues, U.S. consumers are slowly making their way back to the real world—which includes dining out at restaurants with friends and family and grabbing lunch at fast-food and quick-serve eateries near the office.

This week's Fun Friday includes a bagel with no holes, the most popular pizza chains by state, and more.

State of the Industry analysis of the fresh bread category, including coverage of loaf and sandwich breads, artisan breads, bagels, and English muffins.

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.

Swiss technology group Bühler and Ardent Mills celebrated the opening of Ardent Mills’ new Port Redwing Mill in Gibsonton, Florida. 

New influences, trends and preferences are redirecting many bakers to develop and produce new products. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is still a critical issue, as are commodities, private-label products and many business consolidations. 

It can be rather tough for sweet goods products these days. The huge movement to better-for-you items hasn’t exactly been good news and a smooth fairway for this category. But bakers and manufacturers of sweet goods, snack cakes and other delectable treats are watching the demands just as closely as producers in other bakery market segments, and heeding the calls.

Cookies are a robust segment within the bakery industry. There are brands that have been around for decades and have become household names, but there are also many up-and-coming brands that offer unique flavors for niche markets and are set to become the next class of pros.

Busy lifestyles and affordability aren’t the only reasons why consumers add frozen baked goods to their shopping cart each week.

Harris Interactive recently released the results of its 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend study, which analyzed the responses of more than 38,500 consumers on key measures of brand health for more than 1,500 lifestyle, product and service brands. When questioned about the brands they are likely to reach for when craving a salty snack, respondents chose Lay’s Potato Chips—the top-ranked salty snack for the past eight years—followed by two other Frito-Lay North America brands, Doritos and Tostitos.

Pretzels have been around for more than a thousand years, originating in southern Europe around 610 A.D., according to historians. Today, crispy, hard pretzels are consumed by people in many of the countries represented at the 2012 Olympics.

When it comes to the Olympics, most people prefer some sports over others. The same holds true for consumers when it comes to snack foods.

Low in calories, high in fiber—popcorn may just be the perfect natural snack. Of course, that doesn’t stop manufacturers from trying to up the ante by enhancing all the whole grain has to offer. Now, popcorn can be found competing with chips, pretzels and even candy in the snacking Olympics.

Pork rinds are probably the most misunderstood item in the snack category. This is surprising, because people have been eating pork rinds—also called pork skins—as long as they have been eating pigs. One of the world’s first snack foods created thousands of years ago, and favored in the southern states, pork rinds are a simple combination of fried pork skins and salt.

Bakery products are evolving all the time in today’s market. To win the race, they mix healthful and tasty ingredients with a scoop of distinction.

Better-for-you ingredients and innovative flavors continue to keep potato chips at the top of consumers’ list of favorite snacks, while the classics still resonate.

When it comes to sweet goods like doughnuts, Danishes, sweet rolls, muffins and coffee cake, the market is in a state of flux. As Walter Postelwait, president of Pak Group LLC/Bellarise Baking Ingredients, Pasadena, CA, puts it: “The total segment appears to be growing slowly, but has hot pockets of activity.”

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.

This past year on the Stronger Together tour, after the merger of the American Bakers Association (ABA) and the Biscuit & Cracker Manufacturers’ Association, we stopped at Kansas State University (KSU) to meet with the Bakery Science & Management students and participate in the Grain Science and Industry Advisory Council meeting.

Uponor North America celebrated the grand opening of its newly constructed Uponor Experience Center located at its regional headquarters in Apple Valley, Minnesota in September.

PM Engineer Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke had the chance to speak with several key industry stakeholders about trends and technological developments in the market, including: Greg Nahrgang, vice president, technical services and product development, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry; Adam Botts, product manager for Viega; and Steven Dolejsi, applications engineering manager, IPEX.

Lead contamination in drinking water poses serious health risks, and even low levels of lead exposure can cause permanent cognitive, academic and behavioral difficulties in children.

In rural upstate New York, residents harvest trees for firewood using chainsaws and hydraulic splitters. I burn about two face cords annually in my wood stove, enjoying its warmth during winter and relying on it during power outages caused by outdated utility lines.

In 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration obtained commitments from manufacturers to cease sales for food contact use of grease-proofing substances that contain certain types of PFAS.

Maryland joins five states – California, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington – that already have statewide heat standards in place. 

Though convinced that we have made strides with equipment and safer processes, I am equally convinced that we are stuck on a hamster wheel.

With the functional beverage space growing dramatically, experts note that consumer interest in botanicals and adaptogens is on the rise.

Given the rise of ready-to-drink RTD cocktails, Upgraded Points recently released a study unveiling the most popular canned cocktails and mocktails in each U.S. state. 

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), Melbourne, Australia, announced the launch of its new line of premium wines, Drop of Sunshine, in partnership with Candle Media’s Hello Sunshine, a multi-channel media company founded by Reese Witherspoon that puts women at the center of every story it creates, celebrates and discovers. 

This year’s State of the Industry report on dairy drinks and alternatives notes that total milk, comprised of dairy, plant and all other milks, looks to stabilize volume declines.

This year’s State of the Industry report on carbonated soft drinks explores how flavor and functionality innovations entice consumers. 

This year’s State of the Industry report on energy drinks highlights how brands can remain relevant in a competitive market by responding to consumers’ shifting energy needs.

This year’s State of the Industry report on sports and protein drinks highlights how the category is tapping into everyday wellness trends to support the needs of consumers.

This year’s State of the Industry report on juice and juice drinks notes that, as consumers remain concerned about the high sugar content of juice and juice drinks, this has impacted the overall category.

This year’s State of the Industry report on juice and juice drinks highlights how juice manufacturers are taking a proactive approach to meet consumers’ health and wellness goals.

This year’s State of the Industry report on bottled water examines consumer trends contributing to category performance.

Raquel Lavender is recognized for over two decades of hard work in the residential real estate sector

The monument contemplates the idea of strength, struggle and absence. Trice died from injuries he received during his first game in October of 1923. The work was installed for the centennial anniversary of Trice's death.

HWPL, a South Korea-based NGO, issued a statement regarding the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, and is calling for the support of youth worldwide.

As a category leader in the D2C optical industry, GlassesUSA.com's augmented reality-driven Virtual Try-On feature allows you to easily see yourself in any pair of glasses from the comfort of your couch.

Somerdale Billiards and Pool Hall Awarded Prestigious Honor in Only 2nd Year of Operation

In an unprecedented gathering at the Georgia State Capitol on February 16, 2023 Georgia State Representative Park Cannon hosted a landmark think tank focusing on holistic health equity for the transgender and LGBTQIA+ communities.

JOCHEN WERNE received the STATE MEDAL - the highest award of the Free State of Bavaria - for special commitment to environmental protection and announced an extraordinary new project with the EXPEDITION BLUE OCEAN.

Group's Resources Can Be Used to Maximize Impact