Despite pockets of growth at individual companies, the categories spanning fresh bread, including bread, buns and rolls, bagels and English muffins, continue to remain relatively flat.
As the "clean label" trend has evolved into a movement that's clearly here to stay, the food industry has been challenged to respond to it in ways that resonate with consumers.
While taste will remain a dominant factor for all food products, health, wellness and the nutritional value of the product is growing in importance. Several studies point to the fact that consumers are looking to achieve better overall wellness by selecting foods and ingredients that provide a functional health benefit.
The fermentation of dough leads to a strengthening of the dough matrix. Dough conditioners and oxidizers like azodicarbonamide (ADA), bromate and ascorbic acid, as well as their enzyme counterparts, lead to the strengthening of the dough matrix.