Software that can provide facility-wide traceability, from the point where ingredients and packaging enter a facility, to the point of finished product distribution, is very important in the food industry.

Baking clean label bread introduces its fair share of challenges. However, with growing demand, it's worth the challenge. And with an understanding of baking systems and a little help from new innovations, baking clean label bread has never been easier.

It has never been a better time to be in artisan baking. We are living in a time of heirloom wheat rediscovery and renewed appreciation for ancient grains.

Sydney, Australia sits at 34° latitude, and is the city where Craig Lieberman, founder and president, 34 Degrees, Denver, discovered his passion for food and wine while attending graduate school. It's where he had his first taste of Australian crispbread. And it was the inspiration for his foray into the food industry.

Infrastructure maintenance is vital to snack and bakery facility safety. If any plant area is not maintained properly, recalls and other potentially expensive negative consequences are bound to occur. Regular maintenance is crucial, and many types of software and other tools can aid this process.

Private label has been stepping up its game lately, and people, particularly millennials, are starting to take notice. Retailers are adding more premium items to their store brand lines, and people are actively seeking to buy private label products instead of choosing them just because they are less expensive than the national brand equivalent (NBE).

The right oven is the heart of any baked snack or bakery facility, and suppliers continue to make improvements to their equipment. Aspects like smaller footprints, lower costs, more hygienic design, greater energy efficiency, better control, remote monitoring and an ability to handle a wider range of ingredients are all facing scrutiny.

Manufacturers today face many challenges when it comes to designing packaging materials for the snack and bakery market, especially as the consumption cycle of packaged foods grows longer.

Bakeries serving the buns and rolls segments of fresh bread have multiple opportunities to build sales by aligning with prevailing trends across retail and foodservice.