Tortillas have become a versatile carrier for many meals. While typically associated with Mexican foods, tortillas can be used across a broad range of foods and cuisines. 

When it comes to convenient breakfast options, consumers are looking for products that meet their dietary needs without sacrificing flavor or taste.

The snack and bakery industry is filled with wonderful stories. Writing about the origins, growth and scope of the amazing companies that grace our covers is absolutely one of the best aspects of my job.

As the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic descended upon America in early 2020, the American population began reacting to their new reality, and it was clear that snack and bakery production across the country would face a clear challenge. People were stocking up on supplies at an alarming rate, and the rush was on to keep grocery store shelves stocked.

Traceability takes a top spot in modern food industry food safety strategies, following every aspect of the supply chain through manufacturing and to the point of consumer purchase.

Over the past few months, after nearly two years of disruption, I've been getting back into the saddle, visiting with the industry across the many pathways I carve through the course of my work.

From cloud computing to the Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4.0 is essential for modern-day snack and bakery companies, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

State of the Industry Overview for bakery, including a look at baking industry challenges like the supply chain, workforce development, impact from the war in Europe, and the pandemic.

For the past several years, the baking industry has faced a long list of serious, ongoing challenges.

The ongoing pandemic has certainly shifted consumer attitudes and behaviors when it come to foods and the foods they choose. Consumers are looking to connect with food and are gravitating to more familiar comfort foods and indulgent items.

As family and friends more frequently gather in person for parties, dinners, and other social settings, it follows that sales of buns and rolls might increase, because such baked items often are invited to the table. 

Tradition is the foundation that grounds much of the bakery industry’s continued success. We see this immutable fact across nearly every category, with leading companies selling billions of dollars of traditional baked goods that have long stood the test of time. These are core products beloved by millions of shoppers.

The bars category continues show good to strong levels of growth, with sufficiently diversified product offerings to appeal to nearly every type of shopper. Few product categories so seamlessly fit into today’s on-the-go lifestyle suited to on-demand snacking.

Despite Americans’ growing interest in healthier diets and better-for-you foods made with real ingredients, people still enjoy treating themselves to dessert, be it a piece of frosted layer cake, a slice of silky crème pie or a sliver of decadent cheesecake.

Snack mix and nut products have extended their reach over the past year as consumers continue to seek varieties that are full of flavor innovation and adventure. “On-the-go” snack packs also appeal to consumers, and some have bold, new flavors that will make them stand out on the grocery store shelves.

Once a simple snack aisle staple, the humble pretzel is experiencing a resurgence, as restaurant menus tap into the classic flavors of this ubiquitous snack. According to Mintel, Chicago, there has been significant growth in the number of pretzel buns on menus recently, to the tune of 97 percent more items on menus than in previous years.

Since the beginning of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began its destructive spread across the earth, the baking industry has seen highs and lows unlike any other time in history. This unprecedented challenge has reshaped our world, and much of the industry is emerging stronger than ever.

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. 

It makes sense that mint sales are up (though modestly, when looking at units sold) as recovery from the effects of the pandemic marches on. 

Chocolate is a treat that will never go out of style—whether it’s a consumer purchasing it for their own consumption, or perhaps as a gift for friends or family, it is a well-loved dessert. 

Bars remain big business—the portability, flavor variety, better-for-you options, and other attributes of the bakery category appeals to hungry commuters, on-the-go moms and their offspring, health-conscious snackers, and other consumer segments.

Consumers have been looking to eat healthier, and producers are responding, offering multigrain, keto, and other options for loaf bread.

Buns and rolls will never not be valued in the U.S.—whether you’re a carnivore, flexitarian, or vegetarian, you’re inevitably going to be eating a hamburger or perhaps veggie burger this summer. 

Cookies are a bakery treat that fit in many places—solo snacking sessions, birthdays and special occasions, tucked into lunchboxes for school or work consumption, and more. 

Cookies are a bakery treat that fit in many places—solo snacking sessions, birthdays, and special occasions, tucked into lunchboxes for school or work consumption, and more. 

This month’s eMagazine explores the field’s current health and future success.

Hungry consumers continue to start their day with flavorful, convenient breakfast goods.

With more consumers attending gatherings, the dessert category is having a renaissance. 

Consumers are choosing frozen over delivery demand quality and variety in their pizzas.

As is the case with many bakery products, better-for-you is a leading subcategory.

Producers face ongoing pressures, but they keep demonstrating their strength.

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

After offering creative flavors and ingredients, tortilla chip producers are drawing double-digit growth.

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

Manufacturers are poised to tackle the various challenges of the chips category.

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

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

The pretzel category rose 6.4% in sales over the past year.

Category producers entice consumers with adventurous flavors and BFY benefits.

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

Consumers crave budget-friendly treats.

The desire for distinctive offerings drives consumer choices in candy and confectionery.

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.”

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.

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.