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.

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.

Consumers continue to crave salty snacks—that behavior isn’t fading anytime soon. However, shoppers increasingly seek more meaningful than mindless noshes.

Tastykake will bring back its themed on-the-go packaging for football season.

New products include Holiday HoHos and CupCakes, Mint Chocolate Flavored Twinkies, and Hot Chocolate & Marshmallow Flavored Donettes.

The snack cakes join the company's other outside items, including Big Pack Swiss Rolls and Big Pack Oatmeal Creme Pies.

The quartet of treats comes in heart-bedecked packaging for seasonal snacking.

Consumers are still looking for indulgences, despite the fact that many products now have health halos. However, in our current era of “little treat culture,” the bakery snacks category—aka smaller servings of snack cakes and pies—continue to be popular.

Better-for-you options and innovative flavors have been a large part of the overall snack industry. Now, they’re making their way into the extruded snacks segment.

Puffed and extruded snacks are shedding their junk-food image with more nutritious ingredients and no-fry processing, plus on-trend flavors, textures and shapes to add more fun.

The puffed and extruded snack segment combines the best elements of tradition and forward-thinking better-for-you innovation.

The collective puffed, popped, pellet and extruded snack segment continues to see positive sales activity and a strong level of product innovation.

Snack manufacturers are looking to build in healthfulness through the use of raw materials, including vegetables and fruit, as well as cleaner ingredient profiles with more protein and fiber.

The bakery snacks category overall experienced an increase in sales in 2021, the possible reason for that being that consumers are now returning to the office and want on-the-go snacks to keep them company at their desks. 

Muffin brand rereleases limited-edition flavor for spring and summer snacking.

Americans of a certain age likely associate bakery snacks with lunchboxes, unwrapped and enjoyed at school, near the tail end of their midday meal. 

Available now through July at most retailers, the muffins are made with real ingredients like cinnamon and maple syrup, and no high fructose corn syrup or trans fat. 

The new muffin varieties feature less sugar plus real ingredients like apple and chocolate, and a touch of hidden vegetables.

Munk Pack’s line of innovative Protein Cookies line took away top honors in this year's ‘Best Healthy School Snacks’ contest.

The idea of "better for you" encompasses much of what consumers desire today in many of their snacks and baked goods: clean label, non-GMO, natural and—at its core—solid nutrition to make those foods a healthy part of their daily diet.

Grains are fundamental ingredients in snacks and baked goods, providing function, flavor, texture and nutrition. Grains are classified as either whole grains or refined grains.

There's a reason why better-for-you is trending and "perfect-for-you" isn't. According to the August 2018 "U.S. Better for You Eating Trends" market report from Mintel, just 7 percent of consumers say they're strict with themselves to make sure their diet is as healthy as possible, and just three in 10 say they maintain a healthy diet most of the time.

Consumer interest in foods that support holistic health and well-being is increasing. According to the 2020 IFIC Food and Health Survey, over half of consumers report that healthfulness has more of an impact today versus 10 years ago on their food and beverage purchase decisions.

The puffed and extruded snacks category has grown-up, and the market is seeing some diverse company.

Salty snacks like chips, popcorn, pretzels, and snack crackers have long been a staple in the home, and have become even more essential now during the coronavirus pandemic.

Good Health, a member of the Utz Quality Foods family of brands, is launching Good Health Organic with the introduction of Baked Cheese Puffs and Baked Cheese Fries!

Hostess reintroduces fan-favorite seasonal snacks and new Halloween packs to level up trick-or-treating.

The puffed and extruded snacks category is having a great year: all of its subcategories are up from the same time period last year, per Circana data, and consumers are returning to gatherings where snacks like Cheetos, Funyuns, and other snacks are omnipresent.

A World of Future Tastes offers a glimpse into snack and bakery flavors to watch.

In SF&WB’s latest webinar, a Circana market expert dives into current and emerging trends.

Bakery snacks, including key segments like pastries, doughnuts, muffins, snack cakes and more, remain a staple in Americans' snacking routines. Whether shoppers are looking for an indulgent snack or a better-for-you item, there's something for everyone.

Our sister mag Refrigerated & Frozen Foods has released its annual ranking of the largest frozen food companies in the U.S.

Stellar Snacks recently debuted grain-free pretzels crafted with superfood ingredients, now officially available at select grocery stores throughout the U.S.

The new addition to the Myna Snacks lineup is made with real cheese and Italian herbs and seasonings that deliver the taste of pizza in a convenient, crispy, nutritious format.

Demonstrating how much the company has grown over the years, John B. Sanfilippo’s impressive 1-million-sq.-ft. production facility/corporate headquarters/distribution center in Elgin, Ill., is outfitted with speedy, state-of-the-art equipment and technology to produce thousands of nut products, snacks and nut mixes.

Snacking is really evolving this year, serving as a meal substitute in daily eating, rather than just as ‘a quick bite.’ Snacks are also becoming healthier, or at least attempting to do so. 

Using advanced technology, a cross-functional operational strategy and effective collaboration tools, Blue Diamond’s ‘dream plant,’ a multimillion-dollar almond-processing facility in Turlock, CA, is a reality. The nearly 200,000-sq.-ft. site sets new standards of excellence for food safety, processing and building innovation. 

In a move toward boldly-flavored, healthful products, manufacturers are finding innovative ways to meet the needs of consumers who favor sweet and savory bakery foods and snacks. Starting with the dessert first, familiar flavors and healthful benefits can be found in many of Wholly Wholesome’s pie products.

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.

The flexibility to produce different flavors, shapes, sizes and types of products is high on the list of qualities that snack and bakery makers are seeking from manufacturers offering griddle equipment and fryers.

Fryers continue to see ongoing improvements related to hygienic design, oil management and energy efficiency. Equipment suppliers are also offering models that occupy a smaller physical and carbon footprint, and that include adaptability to handle a diverse array of products.

The gluten- and peanut-free formulation is designed to be school-friendly.

The snack bars, made with whole-grain oats, are vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, kosher, and free from soy.

Previously only available in four-packs, single-serve Organic Snack Bars are now available at select 7-Eleven and Circle K locations in San Diego and Los Angeles to meet the desires of today’s busy, health-conscious consumers.  

Augmented reality for packaging

Only the SK Grille serves a 24 hr brined chicken breast golden fried topped with slaw, honey, sriracha mayo, butter pickles on a brioche bun listed on the menu as "The Ollie". "It was freaking amazing" - exclaimed social media influencer Funky Dineva

Convenience store retailers are optimistic about their future, despite increasing competition from quick-service restaurants, according to data collected by their industry group.

The initiative is part of Mondelēz International’s efforts to pack ‘light and right’ in service of its global sustainable packaging goals. Saica’s flexible packaging business unit also has set ambitious circularity targets.