Packaging materials have evolved to meet new demands today’s snack and bakery market. A desire for longer shelf life paired with fewer preservatives in the foods and healthy eating overall has prompted the need for lightweight packaging, thinner barrier materials and convenience features on thinner, more-sustainable substances.

Sustainability—the efforts to be environmentally friendly and good stewards of the earth—is important not just among consumers, but for corporate entities, as well. While many consumers regularly make personal choices that reflect their environmental focus, they expect the companies that they patronize to do the same.

Carefully considered products all have a sweet spot, that central nexus where everything comes together for a strong hit into the outfield—and for particularly astute product-development teams, the occasional home run.

Usage of the term “better-for-you” can be confusing for some, but generally it means taking traditional foods—including many snacks and baked goods that are normally thought of as indulgent, like cookies and sweets—and improving them nutritionally, including cleaning up the label. This can largely be accomplished through ingredient selection.

Cold-chain management—an essential aspect of many snack and bakery operations today—has entered a brave new world characterized by sophisticated temperature monitoring and tracking technology connected by the Internet of Things (IoT).

Olam Cocoa held the opening of its latest Cocoa Innovation Centre in Willowbrook, IL, which will provide innovation capabilities to support Olam Cocoa’s North American customers.

Todd Southerland, senior vice president and food & agribusiness industry manager at SunTrust Bank looks at strategies smaller food companies are using to capture more of the market.

Chocolate is more ubiquitous than ever. You can find a chocolate-flavored version of just about any snack or bakery product.

Consumer engagement in sustainability continues to increase. To that end, many consumers not only look to corporations for leadership in this area, but are also drawn to companies specifically because of their sustainability efforts.

Even in our crowded and highly competitive snack and bakery industry, when excellence emerges, people take notice. Such has been the case for Quinn Snacks and its co-founder and CEO, Kristy Lewis, which have racked up an impressive list of accolades over the past few years