In today’s food marketplace, bakers and snack manufacturers are navigating through the ever-evolving consumer awareness of better-for-you options. Digestive health. Less sugar. Fewer calories. Cleaner labels. The list goes on and on.

This recipe for Curry Spiced Nuts with Dried Tart Cherries meets consumer demand for ethnic flavor profiles, combines on-trend ingredients with complementary flavors and textures, and includes anthocyanin-packed Montmorency tart cherries, which have been linked to a number of health benefits, notes Jeff Manning, chief marketing officer, Cherry Marketing Institute.

During research and development, bakers and snack producers face formulation hurdles on a daily basis. Luckily, functional ingredients like fats, oils, dough conditioners and egg replacers can help them solve a host of common challenges.

La Brea Bakery has announced its new La Brea Bakery Reserve, a line of artisan breads made from single-origin heirloom grains and the first nationally available farm-to-table artisan bread.

Advances in connectivity, control and automation are now being applied to processing and packaging lines, bringing new levels of flexibility, performance and cost advantages, as well as concerns about data, plant information and product security.

When it comes to food trends, consumer interest in better-for-you products continues to grow. The desire to improve their overall health and well-being is prompting many Americans to be more selective when it comes to the foods they buy and eat, including baked goods and snacks. Instead of automatically placing a familiar product into their shopping cart, consumers are now scrutinizing its label for unpronounceable ingredients, artificial flavors and colors, GMOs and high levels of sweeteners and sodium.

Fruits, nuts and chocolate are go-to ingredients for inclusions, toppings and fillings that add nutritional benefits to baked goods and snacks.

In the world of snacks today, good ideas are sprouting up all over. Snacking is the new normal, and in order to remain competitive and relevant in a culture that increasingly leans toward better-for-you options, manufacturers are exploring formulation tactics that build more positive nutritional messaging into their products. Clean label is also top-of-mind, and if a snack can swing a gluten-free claim, its appeal instantly broadens.

Tortilla Industry Association members will gather in Southern California May 18–19, as TIA moves its Annual Convention & Trade Exposition to Harrah’s Resort Southern California in Valley Center.

Ingredient traceability is a growing compliance challenge for bakers and snack producers. Statistics show that the number of food-safety recalls has risen rapidly in recent years, and recalls are becoming more costly. Product recalls can cost companies millions of dollars, and damage to the brand’s reputation can impact sales potential for years to come. For companies impacted by recalls—including through potential ingredient contamination—rapid responsiveness is key to minimizing their impact.