Teams from 12 countries competed live for the gold medal at this year’s cup at the trade fair for the baking and confectionery industry.

Bakers applaud the Trump administration for signaling a more reasonable timeline for implementation of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Nutrition Facts Label rule.

The bread market is changing, with fluctuating commodity prices, a still-sluggish economy, consolidations, mergers and buyouts. 

New influences, trends and preferences are redirecting many bakers to develop and produce new products. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is still a critical issue, as are commodities, private-label products and many business consolidations. 

The bakery market is rife with change this year, as bakers face plenty of challenges that just keep coming. With a hailstorm of food-safety issues, for example, most bakers are beginning the certification process through the Safe Quality Food (SQF) program and others. 

It’s Celiac Awareness month, so we explore Enjoy Life Foods, the first bakery to gain gluten-free certification from the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO). In business 12 years, Enjoy Life’s mission is to make great-tasting, allergy-free, gluten-free cookies, bars and grab-and-go foods that nearly everyone can ‘eat freely’ without worry.

So many features, so many conveniences, same-day delivery, more compact equipment, accessible websites on which to find and purchase equipment and products, easy-to-use mobile apps—customers want more because consumers want it all.