T. Marzetti brings GF options to the frozen bread aisle

The T. Marzetti name has been known among hungry consumers since John Marzetti and his wife Teresa Marzetti (the current company’s namesake) helped his father run a bustling restaurant in Columbus, OH more than a century ago. Today, the name lives on in the Lancaster Colony-owned food producer, known for a diverse range of items that includes refrigerated salad dressings, condiments branded with the names of national eateries like Arby’s and Olive Garden, and New York Bakery frozen bread items.

To help the longstanding company endure into the next century, the producer continues to innovate with new product lines, as well as new items within those existing lines. These include gluten-free versions of the bread items, giving those with gluten sensitivities a broader range of options when they sit down to a meal. To learn more, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery checked in with Izzy Laanaba, senior director of brand management with T. Marzetti.

Jenni Spinner: Could you please share an overview of the T. Marzetti brand?

Izzy Lannaba: T. Marzetti is celebrated for its diverse portfolio of delicious food products, including salad dressings, dips, sauces, and frozen baked goods. The brand’s mission is to bring people together through flavorful and convenient offerings that enhance everyday meals and special occasions alike.

What truly sets T. Marzetti apart from other food brands are these core principles:

Commitment to Quality: Every product is crafted using high-quality ingredients to ensure exceptional taste and freshness.
Heritage of Flavor: With a legacy rooted in authentic recipes, T. Marzetti delivers products that are rich in flavor and culinary inspiration.
Versatility: From salads to snacks to full meals, T. Marzetti products are designed to fit various meal occasions.
Consumer-Centric Innovation: The brand evolves to meet changing consumer needs, balancing traditional favorites with modern, trend-driven flavors.
Passion for Gathering: At its heart, T. Marzetti fosters connection, turning meals into cherished moments that unite everyone.

By delivering on both flavor and convenience, T. Marzetti continues to be a trusted name in kitchens across the country.

JS: Then, could you please tell us all about the New York Bakery brand and the products it offers?

IL: New York Bakery is a leader in the frozen bread category, celebrated for its iconic Texas Toast and consistently delivering quality and flavor that families know and trust. New The brand offers a variety of delicious and convenient bread products, including:

Texas Toast: thick-sliced and perfectly seasoned in classic, Parmesan and cheesy varieties
Breadsticks: soft, savory options, including garlic and cheese-filled
Garlic Knots: fluffy, oven-ready knots perfect for sharing
Gluten-Free Options: catering to dietary needs without compromising flavor
Specialty Toasts and Breads: unique twists on classic favorites

New York Bakery products are oven-ready in minutes, making them a convenient addition to any meal. Made with real garlic, herbs, and butter, they deliver rich, savory flavors that pair well with pasta, soups, salad, or even as a stand-alone snack. Versatile and available in family-sized packs, they’re perfect for everything from casual dinners to large gatherings.

With a commitment to quality and flavor, New York Bakery makes every meal more flavorful, convenient, and memorable.

JS: Please share your perspective on trends around gluten-free eating—how has interest in such products evolved in recent years, and in general, how have baked-good producers delivered on those needs?

IL: The gluten-free segment has seen significant growth in recent years, becoming a major force within the food industry, particularly in the frozen bread category. In the U.S., the gluten-free food market was valued at approximately $9 billion in 2022, and it's projected to grow at a 9-10% CAGR, reaching over $13 billion by 2027. This demand is driven not only by consumers with gluten sensitivities but also by a growing audience focused on health-conscious eating.

Historically, the frozen bread category offered limited gluten-free options that often fell short of consumer expectations for taste and texture. Most gluten-free breads have relied on batter bases rather than dough, resulting in a less satisfying texture. This gap in the market highlighted the need for gluten-free bread that replicates the traditional bread experience, especially in the frozen aisle, where convenience is key.

For a brand like New York Bakery, known for consistently delivering the highest quality bread, this challenge led to the development of an innovative dough-based gluten-free bread. This exceptional offering meets our rigorous standards while addressing consumer demand, ensuring we can meet and exceed the evolving expectations of today’s gluten-free market.

JS: Then, please tell us a bit about T. Marzetti’s GF innovations, the Garlic Texas Toast and Five Cheese Texas Toast. Why is now the right time to launch these GF items?

IL: After over a decade of perfecting gluten-free recipes, recent advancements in technology and processes have enabled us to create a truly groundbreaking product—a gluten-free bread that rivals the quality of our traditional offerings. The innovation lies in our patent-pending dough-based recipe, the first to use a unique flour alternative to replicate the proofing and rising of conventional dough. Unlike most batter-based gluten-free options, this approach delivers the taste and texture consumers expect. Now is the perfect time to launch because we can confidently meet our high standards and proudly introduce these products under the New York Bakery name.

What sets our Gluten-Free Garlic and Five Cheese Texas Toast apart includes three key factors:

Gluten-free facility: These products are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility, providing an unmatched level of trust and safety for consumers with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Taste and Texture: with our improved formulation, this toast delivers an authentic, soft, and satisfying bread experience, addressing a long-standing challenge for gluten-free options.
Accessibility: Unlike many gluten-free products, that are limited to specialty stores and high price points, ours will be widely available in neighborhood stores at a competitive price, making it easier for consumers to enjoy high-quality gluten-free options.

JS: Celiacs and gluten-sensitive consumers are looking for products that don’t trigger their gluten issues, yet they still want tasty, great-tasting breads. Could you please talk about some of the challenges your product development team encountered, and how you managed to strike a nice balance between good and GF?

IL: After years of dedicated research and innovation, T. Marzetti finally had all the pieces in place—the perfected recipe and the necessary technology—to bring the New York Bakery Gluten Free Texas Toast to market. Seizing the moment, the brand swiftly launched the product in an impressive eight-month timeline, cutting typical development time in half without compromising quality.

This rapid rollout was only possible because of the brand's decade-long commitment to research and development, which resulted in a patent-pending dough-based recipe—a major differentiator from traditional gluten-free breads that often rely on a batter base. Once the recipe was finalized and the technology to produce it became available, T. Marzetti worked expeditiously to reconfigure a dedicated gluten-free facility to accommodate the processing of the gluten-free dough, a process that is also patent-pending. This seamless blend of long-term innovation and agile execution enabled the brand to bring a revolutionary alternative to the market in under a year.

JS: What’s next for T. Marzetti?

IL: At T. Marzetti, our legacy of delivering high-quality, trusted products is matched only by our passion for innovation. From our iconic Texas Toast to groundbreaking gluten-free options, we are constantly exploring new ways to elevate the consumer experience.

Our dedicated R&D team is working hard, leveraging advanced techniques and consumer insights to develop products that meet evolving needs. Whether expanding our gluten-free offerings or introducing innovative bakery-focused products, exciting developments are in the pipeline that reflect our commitment to quality, convenience, and flavor.

As we look to the future, T. Marzetti remains steadfast in its mission: to craft products that bring people together, create memorable meals, and set the standard for excellence in the bakery and beyond.