Every so often, the primary aspects of a life fall together so perfectly that it appears that the proverbial fates are smiling upon destiny.

Some people innately embody a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Such is the case with Joel Clark, CEO of Kodiak Cakes, Park City, UT, a pioneer in better-for-you baking, offering whole-grain, protein-enhanced products that currently span multiple categories across breakfast, snacking, and beyond.

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

2022 Bakery of the Year, Hostess Brands, is seeing strong company growth amidst several leading initiatives related to sustainability, workforce development, and workplace safety.

Hostess Brands, the 2022 ‘Bakery of the Year,’ continues to position itself for growth.

If you’ve never visited a large-scale bakery facility, stepping onto the production floor of Highland Baking’s flagship location in Northbrook, IL is likely to overwhelm. 

The brand’s unique products have made it a Chicago staple.

The Parmesan Crisps brand will debut these updates at The 2022 Winter Fancy Food Show.

Joyfull Bakery, the artisan Parmesan Crisps company, has announced that its crisps will be available in all Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide.

Panera is unveiling unveils updates to its bakery case, with a selection of five new baked goods and three all-new croissant breakfast sandwiches.

Expanding its better-for-you nostalgic treats, Lexington Bakes introduces four seasonal flavors, each crafted in collaboration with artisan brands.

McLane's new bakery line and expanded private-label candy products will be available for c-store customers to experience and order.

The limited-time items feature a quartet of pumpkin-flavored breakfast and sweet items.

The producer also is bringing back Cranberry English muffins, bagels, and swirl bread.

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

Bakery Concepts International has announced that it has been granted new patents for its Rapidojet technology.

Snack food and bakery companies in the market for mixers want machines that provide qualities like ease of sanitation, food safety, automation, airtight seals, and consistent operation that guards against product degradation during the mixing cycle.

Companies in the market for new or improved mixers for snack and bakery dough applications have displayed a recent focus on specific features and benefits. These include efficiency, cost savings, pre-hydration, handling of ancient grains, automation of processes, and stepped-up sanitation and maintenance, especially in the wake of COVID-19.

Mixers serve essential functions for snack and bakery companies creating their own dough. We ask a lot of this category of heavy-duty equipment, including reliability and efficiency, to maintain established product quality-control standards.

Middleby Bakery Group hosted the grand opening of its $2.3 million Bakery Innovation Center in Plano, TX in April. 

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.

Companies who make dough handling equipment like dividers, depositors and rounders say their customers want equipment that provides safety and sanitation, automation and the resulting labor savings, gentler handling of dough, and the flexibility to run a mix of high-throughput, and smaller, niche lines, depending on the job.

MAMMOETH, the first fully servo-controlled dough divider is the result of the Blue Innovation Centre, an open innovation model in which WP Haton engineers develop machines together with customers and suppliers.

The advanced MULTIMATIC dough divider and moulding machine is now suitable for an even more versatile range of applications.

Baker Perkins’ new Series3 rotary moulder for soft dough biscuits and sandwich cookies sets new standards in hygiene, operation and maintenance, while retaining all the important high performance characteristics of the previous machine.

Automation, advances in sanitary design, greater worker safety and additional flexibility in packaging have been among the top requests that manufacturers of cutting, slicing and portioning equipment say they've been fielding from their customers this year.

New technology which optimizes handling of bread dough through precise temperature control on Tweedy mixing systems is being introduced by Baker Perkins at IBA in Munich (Hall A6/321).

Different shapes, quicker changeovers, better sanitation, a smaller footprint, more automation, and a balance of speed and safety are among the top-of-mind criteria for customers of slicing and cutting machines in the snack and bakery industry, according to machine manufacturers.

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.

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. 

When selecting ovens and proofers, labor savings and remote monitoring are at the top of bakers and snack makers lists.

Snack and bakery companies can produce Thanksgiving shortcuts for consumers.

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

The grain-based snack and bakery industry has a number of vital, perennially important food safety issues to consider as we move into a new year. Food safety has always been important in snack and bakery facilities, and it has ramped up this year due to COVID-19, as well.

Health-conscious consumers are driving growth in grains both old and new.

Sweet is one of the five basic taste sensations. While most people enjoy sweets, they are also mindful about the amount of sugar and carbs in their diet.

Producers can harness the supplier’s maple syrup and sugar for pastries and other items.

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

Product recalls in bakery and snack categories have remained consistent over the years, with undeclared allergens the primary cause. These costly recalls are preventable!

The launch capitalizes on rising trends in brownie consumption and gluten-free treats.

Celebrating 20 years in business, with its latest cookbook hot out of the oven, Metropolitan Bakery, Philadelphia, delights in baking delicious breads and creating incredible pastries, popcorn and granola, among other foods. 

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. 

‘Going from good to great’ is a pervasive theme at Phoenix-based Capistrano’s Bakery. So is the phrase, ‘It Can Be Done.’ This rather quiet, wholesale artisan baker works hard to ensure that its products are tasty, innovative and what its customers want. 

Chicago Specialty Bakers brings traditional, Old World baked goods to life for today’s discerning consumers.

Demand for chocolate in snack and bakery items is driven by two core consumers: Luxury seekers; and healthy snack eaters who both share a common desire for great-tasting chocolate produced in a sustainable fashion. 

Snack producers and bakeries can travel multiple avenues toward improved operational efficiency. Additional automation is a natural progression.

Thermal management is crucial to processing, storing and delivering several types of snacks and baked goods. The latest systems cover a wide range of functions, including chilling dough, cooling product after exiting the oven, and refrigerating or freezing finished product. Specialized cold storage facilities also are part of the mix.

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.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program, the domestic baking industry consumes an estimated $800 million worth of purchased fuels and electricity per year, as noted in its guide, "Energy Efficiency Improvement and Cost Saving Opportunities for the Baking Industry" (Nov. 2016 update, available on www.energystar.gov).

WP Bakery Technology’s tried and tested control system will be launched on the market in the third generation at the iba 2018.