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

Pizza is essential to a high percentage of Americans, a fact reflected in the over $6 billion annual sales for this market segment in frozen retail pizzas alone. While diversification of crusts and ingredients is attracting health-conscious consumers, there is still demand for high quality, Italian-style premium frozen pizza.

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.

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.

Snack and bakery companies looking at new or improve extrusion equipment to create puffed and popped snacks, bakery items like nutrition bars, and other types of SKUs have features and benefits like cleanability, flexibility, and remote support high on their list of considerations, according to companies that make extrusion equipment.

Brand also expands dessert bar offerings with new Chocolate Pie Bar Mix.

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. 

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

Crackers maintain far-reaching appeal. But while the category benefits from increased consumer interest in snacking, crackers have experienced intensified competition from other foods within salty snacks and beyond.

When it comes to equipment like ovens and proofers, internet connectivity, wider and larger machines, artisanal production methods, shorter bake times, reversible belts, energy efficiency and improved cleaning and sanitation are all top considerations in today’s market.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., shoppers began to frantically stock up on select food products. Due to its convenience and comfort-food appeal, frozen pizza was a top choice, and retailers soon found themselves with dwindling supplies as American society braced for the worst.

MECATHERM has launched the Authentik Baguette, a solution that allows manufacturers to meet the new expectations of consumers looking for more authentic products, with a product positioned midway between the classic baguette and the artisan-style baguette. 

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.

Boulart deftly balances artisan ideals with state-of-the-art technology to bring better bread to the masses.

Crackers are a product category that has nearly universal appeal. Consumers are snacking more often, especially in light of the recent pandemic, and the expanding variety of crackers on the market today make them a natural fit for nearly any snacking occasion.

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

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.

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Slimer are among the new Krispy Kreme x Ghostbusters doughnuts in the collection.

Top of mind for snack food and wholesale bakery companies who in the market for new or improved mixers are qualities like consistency, temperature control, and the ability to distribute raw materials fast and efficiently.

Properly cleaning and sanitizing large stationary systems can often be a challenge. Hinds-Bock has created an easy roll on and off industrial carrier frame that works great for streusel and batter depositors.

Urschel has long offered targeted cutting solutions to the global community of leading food processors—adapting to the requirements of individual applications and continuing to grow in the company's engineering and manufacturing expertise through each endeavor.

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.

The thaw-and-eat sandwich brand has grown from a $12 million property to about $800 million in annual sales, according to the company.

The respected industry leader served the baking field for more than 45 years, most recently as diversity, equity, and inclusion director with Highland Baking Co.

Category analysis for fresh bread products like breads, buns, rolls, bagels, and English muffins, including sales data and product development strategies.

Carbonaut has introduced 13 new low-carb bread and bakery products in the brand’s first year, including its latest innovations, Gluten-Free Bagels and Gluten-Free Pizza Crust.

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.

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.

ADM has announced that the company has achieved net carbon neutral status for its U.S. flour milling operations.

Bread is a universal language. Nearly every culture has historical roots in forming judicious combinations of water and grains, seeds, pulses, starches, and other substrates, often functionally lightened with some sort of leavening, and perhaps a dash of salt for flavor. It’s the quintessential expression of science, art, and sustenance.

More than 170 milling industry leaders and guests gathered in South Carolina for the North American Millers’ Association’s 2022 Spring Conference, which ended on April 12, 2022.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognize grains as an important part of a healthy eating pattern. Grain foods provide dietary fiber as well as essential vitamins (i.e., folate, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, and vitamin A) and minerals (i.e., iron, zinc, manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorous, and selenium).

van Poppel will lead the food solutions firm in its efforts to improve its environmental impact.

Bob's Red Mill bags are now recyclable through Ridwell, a recycling service that will pick up multi-layer plastic bags right from consumer's doorsteps.

Along with Unreasonable Group, the snack producer will drive toward Net Zero by 2050.

For the second consecutive year, Grupo Bimbo received recognition for its actions to mitigate the effects of climate change at a global level.

The company's three-year initiative puts forth ambitious sustainability goals.

The company reportedly has achieved significant carbon cuts on the plant-based line.

The trend, termed ‘Regeneration Rising,’ involves new palettes and factors consumers want.

The report details momentum across the company's three strategic focus areas: products, people, and planet.

The IBIE organizers name SF&WB sponsors of BEST in Baking for another show cycle.

The woman-founded brand features premium ingredients and upcycled flour.

The 2010 Census revealed that one in every six U.S. residents is Hispanic. The U.S. Hispanic population ranks second worldwide. Unfortunately, the growing Hispanic population experiences similar health issues as non-Hispanics but the prevalence may be higher.

I am 100% sure that you have received a load of “must-have” nutritional advice. The overload of life lessons like this can be quite overwhelming, not to mention scary. I used to go to bed at night questioning my nutrition skills, thinking about how in the world I missed the research proving all of those theories. Well, a quick search or even a phone call to mom (or grams), proved false.

On Sept. 26, the two owners of Jensen Farms, were arrested for shipping adulterated food in 2011. The charge was shipping contaminated cantaloupe, which resulted in the death of 33 people and sickened 147 people. The two brothers were arrested on misdemeanor charges of introducing adulterated food into commerce. 

According to the January 2015 “Gluten-Free Foods in the U.S., 5th Edition” report from Packaged Facts, Rockville, MD, from 2009–2014, sales of gluten-free products in grain-based categories posted a 34 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

“Sustainability” means different things to different people.