2017 Bakery of the Year, Enjoy Life Foods
Enjoy Life Foods, our 2017 ‘Bakery of the Year,’ brings newfound food freedom to those with food allergies the world over. For the full story, see “2017 Bakery of the Year: Enjoy Life Foods.”
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Since its inception in 2001, Enjoy Life Foods, Chicago, has sought to bring truly enjoyable snacks and baked goods to consumers living with food allergies and intolerances. The company has seen significant growth and is now a part of Mondelēz International. It’s is the No. 1 free-from snack and bakery brand in the world, and is the Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery 2017 “Bakery of the Year.”
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After acquiring Enjoy Life, Mondelēz quickly invested in growing the brand. “Our Jeffersonville bakery opened in September of last year,” says Joel Warady, interim general manager, chief sales and marketing officer. “The site boasts 200,000 square feet of modernized production capacity.” It’s the largest dedicated allergen-free bakery in North America.
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Enjoy Life operates up to 10 lines that often incorporate a high degree of flexibility to quickly adapt for different product runs. It’s a nimble setup that accommodates the unique needs of the many SKUs the bakery offers. Photo: The South 40—Versatile Media.
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“Our most recent introduction was our new flavors of Baked Chewy Bars,” says Joel Warady, interim general manager, chief sales and marketing officer. “In addition to our current product line of Caramel Apple, SunSeed Crunch and Cocoa Loco, the new flavors introduced are Caramel Blondie, Carrot Cake and Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed.” The bars feature Enjoy Life’s proprietary Pure Life Balanced Dry Blend of hulled sunflower kernels, cassava flour, white pearled-grain sorghum flour and quinoa flakes.
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Enjoy Life offers over 65 free-from products, including cookies, snack bars, chocolate bars, baking chocolate and snack bites. Best-selling products include Crunchy Cookies and Soft Baked Cookies, Chewy Bars and Plentils (lentil-based chips). Photo: The South 40—Versatile Media.
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Earlier in 2017, Enjoy Life released its Crunchy Minis in Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, Vanilla Honey Graham and Sugar Crisp. Soft Baked Minis are also available in Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Brownie and Snickerdoodle.
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The new ProBurst Bites from Enjoy Life Foods come in flavors like Cinnamon Spice, Mango Habanero, Cranberry Orange and SunSeed Butter. They blend astute levels of nutrition and indulgence, made with a core ingredient lineup of chocolate, roasted pumpkin seeds, rice protein and chia seeds. The snack bites contribute 6 or 7 grams of protein per serving.
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Enjoy Life Foods offers two nut-free snack mixes: Beach Bash, combining sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, dried pineapple, apricots and cranberries, and Mountain Mambo, made with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, dried apples, cranberries and dairy-free chocolate chips.
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Light, airy and crunchy Plentils chips from Enjoy Life Foods are made with lentils, which offer good levels of fiber and protein. The newest flavors are Thai Chili Lime and Moroccan Spice, and the full line also includes Sea Salt, Dill & Sour Cream, Margherita Pizza and Garlic & Parmesan.
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Joel Warady, interim general manager, chief sales and marketing officer, Enjoy Life Foods, notes that the free-from food segment is predicted to will reach $12 billion by 2020. There are now more than 76 million families and individuals living with food allergies, celiac disease or gluten intolerances, or choosing free-from foods for other reasons. With the investment of a state-of-the-art bakery to fuel production—and the efficiencies of an existing global product distribution network—Mondelēz International is poised to grow Enjoy Life, bringing allergy-friendly foods to an unprecedented number of consumers. Photo: The South 40—Versatile Media.