The idea of "better for you" encompasses much of what consumers desire today in many of their snacks and baked goods: clean label, non-GMO, natural and—at its core—solid nutrition to make those foods a healthy part of their daily diet.

As the artisan bread movement continues to gain momentum across the U.S., one of its most-ancient forms—sourdough—is garnering more-widespread attention.

The autolyse is an optional but easy method to incorporate into the mixing cycle of many artisan breads. The autolyse technique was likely used throughout bread-making history but was codified by Professor Raymond Calvel in his seminal work, "Le Goût du Pain," which has been translated into English as "The Taste of Bread."

Puratos recently launched two new sourdough starters.

Back in the early 1930s, when Charles Elmer Doolin started The Frito Company and Herman Lay started H.W. Lay & Company, they were establishing the groundwork for a snack empire. The two companies merged in 1961, and four years later joined forces with The Pepsi-Cola Company to create PepsiCo, which operates Frito-Lay as a subsidiary.

In private label today, as we see elsewhere across the snack and bakery industry, clean label is still the current buzz phrase, and consumers continue to seek foods that fall into the larger better-for-you category.

As snack and bakery categories shift and draw inspiration from one another, producers are finding opportunities to adjust the ingredient makeup in traditional products to create new snacking opportunities.

Snack and bakery equipment companies have been busy updating ovens and proofers in recent months. Recently released and updated ovens have included features like greater energy savings, shorter turnaround time and wireless remote monitoring, sometimes those provided by component subcontractors.

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.