Today's snack and bakery consumers want food products in packaging that offers convenience, reliable functionality and sustained freshness. They're looking for better-for-you snacks in single-serve portions and resealability.

Advances in packaging materials continue to extend shelf life, while adding convenience and freshness to bakery and snack goods. Innovations in modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP), microbial-inhibiting film, and the use of cellulose nanocrystals are helping to push the envelope.

Eating occasions and flavor directions factor into industry activity and planning.

Some candies don’t fit neatly into one column or another. That’s okay; the “other” candies like marshmallows, spreads, interactive novelty items, and such seem to be fitting into consumers’ candy budgets just fine. 

Snacking is a constant, with BFY and other trends mixing things up.

By the numbers, most readers love to dig into snacking statistics.

Consumers keep eyeballing snacks in the freezer case while keeping an eye on their budgets.

To overcome industry obstacles and entice consumers, producers are getting creative.

Challenges persist, but producers express optimism about the category’s future.

Speakers set to present include experts from Circana, SNAC International, and ABA.

The cracker market, like many other snack segments, is in an evolutionary state. If you ask Craig Lieberman, president and founder of Denver-based 34 Degrees, changes in the category span “from the types and styles of crackers to the location and placement of crackers in the store.”

Machining and handling of dough prior to the cutting action requires several steps/actions, as they are critical to the textural characteristics of the finished product.

Effectively and efficiently handling dough is integral to many snack and bakery operations. And the needs producers have today are diverse.

The American Bakers Association’s Bakers Manufacturing Academy has launched a new specialized course for cracker operations: the Sheeting and Laminating Lesson.   

In partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Polaris Dawn mission, Doritos' first-ever space chip fuels awareness and funds for childhood cancer research and treatment.

The new variety was created in partnership with Amber Balakian, a fourth-generation tomato farmer.

Company founder Lauryn Bodden triumphed in the Netflix cooking competition ‘Snack vs Chef.’

The puffs, available in four flavors, are made with cauliflower or broccoli.

Offering a nutritious solution for infant snacks, Little Spoon Puffs encourage self-feeding and fine motor skill development for babies over six months.

Frito-Lay's Flamin’ Hot portfolio, encompassing 25 unique products, is coming together as an official brand and stepping out with a fierce new look.  

On April 8, Whisps is launching Popped: protein-packed poppable snacks made from 100% real cheese, seasoned with even more cheese.

Available in two flavors, the new snack will be available at Sprouts and on LesserEvil.com starting June 1.

The line marks the brand’s first foray into extruded snack territory.

Consumers continue to reach for their favorite puffed and extruded snacks in their many forms. However, while U.S. shoppers still put tried and true types (like cheese curls and pork rinds) in their cart, they’re increasingly interested in trying new flavor twists, better-for-you bases, and other novel takes on the category. 

The plant-based snack company features limited-edition Minions-themed pack designs on all puffs and veggie straw flavors and special pack sizes.

The brand is kicking off a nationwide search for the next Deja tu Huella Ambassador to uplift and inspire the Hispanic community.

For the first time in the brand’s history, Fritos is blending two flavors into one bag with an exclusive, limited-edition Fritos X Twisters snack.

For the first time, the brands are coming together for an unexpected flavor mash-up: Funyuns x Maruchan Hot & Spicy Chicken Ramen Onion Flavored Rings.

The new packs aim to meet growing demand from convenience store operators and on-the-go shoppers.

Extruded snacks are having a bright year, and producers expect the success to continue.

The line of gluten-free snacks will hit retail shelves this fall.

The company’s Halloween-themed snacks include Quaker bars, and Cheetos in both sweet and savory varieties.

Conagra to unveil sweet, spicy, and salty new innovations from its brands.

The snacks, unveiled earlier this year and previewed at Sweets & Snacks Expo, are a permanent addition to the brand portfolio.

PepsiCo will be debuting new flavor innovations from Cheetos, Doritos, Quaker, and Lay's.

Family-owned Kangaroo Brands, Milwaukee, strives for consistent quality and value when it comes to all things pita. Passionate about baking and snack production, Kangaroo uses quality ingredients to provide quality products, including its popular line of light, crunchy pita chips for retail and foodservice. It’s for these and other reasons that Kangaroo is our Snack Manufacturer of the Year.

Not satisfied with the ingredients in many crunchy snacks on the market, Simply 7 Snacks, Houston, went into crunch time

Manufacturers of crackers, crisps and puffs are adding nutrients and specialty ingredients to their products, while cutting fat, gluten and more to meet consumer demand for exceptional quality.

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery has announced that its 2016 “Snack Producer of the Year” award will go to Unique Pretzel Bakery, Reading, PA, best known for its Original “Splits” pretzels.

Unique Pretzel Bakery astutely combines equal measures of Pennsylvania Dutch tradition and modern-day innovation to catalyze its success.

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery has named industry game-changer Quinn Snacks its 2017 Snack Producer of the Year. 

Even in our crowded and highly competitive snack and bakery industry, when excellence emerges, people take notice. Such has been the case for Quinn Snacks and its co-founder and CEO, Kristy Lewis, which have racked up an impressive list of accolades over the past few years

Over the past 15 years, Late July Snacks, the 2018 Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery "Snack Producer of the Year", has steadily grown its business to its position today as a leader in organic, non-GMO snacks, most notably its strong level of innovation in the tortilla chip category.

Over the past century, John B. Sanfilippo & Son, the 2019 'Snack Producer of the Year,' has grown into one of the world's top nut companies, and a strong culture of growth and innovation continues today.

In the world of snacks, some innovations are hotter than others, and sometimes burn so brightly that the entire industry feels the heat.

Product purchase and consumption patterns in America point toward a desire for affordable simplicity in our foods. This has catalyzed ongoing product development efforts to meet increasing consumer demand for natural and organic snacks. And efforts to bring cleaner snacking options to more Americans find increased success when retailers can offer such simplified products at affordable price points.

Cheez-It crackers are a testament to American snacking ingenuity. Introduced in 1921, the amazingly popular, one-inch-square, 100% real cheese snack crackers have maintained a steadfast ability to reach nearly every consumer demographic, with an inherent, near-universal appeal.

Congratulations to CHEEZ-IT, our 2022 Snack Producer of the Year!

The new veggie-based twist on BBQ potato chips include a crispy, crunchy air-dried carrot tossed in extra virgin olive oil and a bold, smoky barbecue seasoning.

The award will be handed out at SNAXPO 2023, taking place March 19–21 in Orlando.