Perhaps as long as a decade from now, snack and bakery professionals will still be reckoning with the pandemic’s effects on consumer preferences and, subsequently, their own product development. And when they do, our current focus on wellness will continue to loom large.

Bakery and snack producers can choose from a wide range of convenience packaging solutions - single-serve, re-sealable, portion-controlled - to meet demands of retailers and consumers. The latest innovations offer reliable containment, product freshness, recyclability and sustainability, thus fitting the needs of on-the-go, convenience-oriented 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

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.

The puffs and extruded snacks category has moved beyond just cheese puffs—pork rinds, baby puffs, and vegan options are now in play.

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.

During the recent and highly successful in-person PACK EXPO, Jorge Izquierdo, vice president of market development for PMMI, passed along some highlights from his 2021 PMMI "State of the Industry" report, including data noting a significant uptick in packaging equipment purchases.

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.

Now that more people are working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, there's ample time for breakfast, and breakfast foods sales are reflecting this trend.