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.   

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.

The scallop-shaped baked treats reportedly are made without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

The selection features eight flavors that capture the essence of autumn, per the brand.

The company will launch an integrated marketing campaign this month titled “Love, Your Bread” to reinforce the goodness of whole grains.

Over the past century, historic La Segunda Central Bakery has grown from serving the local Cuban community in Ybor City, FL, to distributing traditional Cuban bread from coast to coast.

A look at the best air management practices for snack and bakery companies.

Companies should make a plan to ensure cleanliness, standard operating procedures of facilities.

Snack, bakery industry personnel are constantly learning.

Efficient weight controls and checkweighing systems on bakery production lines are integral to meeting consumer expectations and ensuring compliance with net weight regulations.

The Chocolate Caramel and Triple Chocolate cakes draw inspiration from candy bar flavors and textures.

The sweet baked goods brand has renamed its Minis line with a new name and packaging.

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.

Consumer demand for artisanal baked goods and better-for-you snacks are making new laminators and sheeters must-have equipment for many manufacturers.

Growing consumer demand for better-for-you, gluten-free and innovative baked goods and snacks continues to drive bakers and snack manufacturers to explore new ingredients and formulations. It’s also prompting them to re-examine their equipment needs, as they discover that their existing machinery may not be able to efficiently handle today’s in-demand products. For some manufacturers, a new extruder may be just the ticket.

Handtmann has announced the appointment of Christian Strohm and Sean Gorman to bakery sales specialist positions in Canada and the U.S.

A new generation of extrusion equipment for the food industry has been launched by Baker Perkins.

Customers of machines that handle puffing and extruding of snack and bakery products are focused on accommodating protein- and plant-based inclusions, hygienic design and rapid cleaning, speed and quick changeovers, better integrated controls, easy data extraction, and smaller machines that can produce specialized batches.

Flexibility, greater sanitation, gentle handling of ingredients, quicker changeovers, more precise weight control, and the ability to make products with healthier ingredients are top of mind features and benefits for snack and bakery customers of extrusion equipment and technology.

Baker Perkins has exploited innovative technology to improve process control, performance and hygiene on all the units in its Co-Ex Master co-extrusion systems, which create high-value products by adding a center filling into a cereal outer.

To successfully bake products requires an astute blend of art and science. A fundamental ingredient in the baking process is the leavening agent. Leavening contributes essential sensory characteristics to bakery products.

Ingredient suppliers and bakery clients are discovering new products and ways to use existing ingredients. 

LEVAIR Select leavening solution is a non-aluminum based alternative to traditional sodium aluminum phosphate.

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. 

The new laminator is said to offer a smaller footprint, flexibility, and easier sanitation and maintenance.

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.

Ingredion Incorporated has launched a dietary fiber in the U.S.—NOVELOSE 3490.

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."

Grains are a fundamental ingredient in snack food and bakery products and an important food in consumer diets. In fact, based on the 2020 IFIC Food and Health Survey, consumers view fiber, whole grains, and protein from plants as the healthiest, and most-sought-after, nutrients. 

The pandemic has heightened consumers' interest in health and well-being. According to the 2021 IFIC Food and Health Survey, 58 percent of respondents stated that healthfulness had an impact on their food and beverage decisions.

The latest generation of the MATADOR STORE Colour Edition instore baking oven will be presented at the iba with the new control system generation WP NAVIGO 3.

The newly developed thermal-oil-heated tunnel oven combines the constant radiant heat typical for thermal oils with true vertical turbulence for convective heat transfer, and can also work with different baked goods carriers even without conveyor belts.

The right oven is the heart of any baked snack or bakery facility, and suppliers continue to make improvements to their equipment. Aspects like smaller footprints, lower costs, more hygienic design, greater energy efficiency, better control, remote monitoring and an ability to handle a wider range of ingredients are all facing scrutiny.

The new TruBake HiCirc convection oven launched by Baker Perkins brings higher rates of convection, higher heat flux, and a broader range of product capability than its predecessors. 

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.

Reading Bakery Systems has introduced a new multi-pass environmentally controlled proofer that accelerates dough development time in a reduced production footprint.

M.O.L.E. EV6 delivers handheld thermal profiling control, freeing bakery operators from time-consuming, offline PC download.

Serving a substantial portion of the Southeast, including the Five Guys hamburger restaurant chain, Masada Bakery has a deep commitment to customer service, quality standards and an ability to flex with a major growth curve in a tough economy. It’s for these and other reasons that we named it our 2012 Wholesale Baker of the Year.

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery is proud to announce that it has named La Brea Bakery its 2016 “Bakery of the Year.” 

In 1989, when La Brea Bakery opened its doors, it introduced Los Angeles to the sublime beauty of artisan bread. Fast-forward to 2016, and La Brea Bakery has grown into the largest baker of nationally distributed artisan breads in the U.S.—breads that still retain their original artisan allure.

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery is proud to announce that it has named Enjoy Life Foods its 2017 “Bakery of the Year.” 

Over four centuries ago, the brilliant Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher and mathematician Galileo Galilei insightfully proposed that “passion is the genesis of genius.” Passion tied to a good idea motivates action. And good ideas like to grow.

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery is pleased to announce that it has named Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle as its 2018 Bakery of the Year.

When Sheila G's Brownie Brittle hit the market in 2011, it redefined the cookie category forever. It's like the brownie’s edges, crispy and full of rich, chocolate flavor, the best part of the brownie. As a bonus, Brownie Brittle is lower in calories than traditional brownies, and is highly snackable.

One of my earliest childhood food memories is of the time when Julia Child visited the family of one of my best friends who lived down the block.