BakeryAndSnacks Podcast

Bakers eager to understand the shifting political landscape in the US will get exclusive insights at the American Bakers Association’s upcoming 2025 Convention. Bakers from both sides of the pond are invited to attend

We catch up with Sebastian Emig, director general of the European Snacks Association (ESA) to find out why he is excited about the upcoming elections for the new European Parliament. He also talks about the Green Deal and SNACKEX 2024: an event not to be missed.

More than two billion people lack access to safe drinking water services around the world, which is why good corporate water stewardship is imperative. But the global snack giant is stepping up with some industry-leading tech, including one that uses the water found in potatoes. We find out more.

The ABA’s 2024 Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona, is set to kick off tomorrow, promising an array of activities, workshops and networking opportunities. We caught up with Eric Dell, president and CEO of ABA, to get the inside scoop on what attendees can expect.

Unsurprisingly, the current state of play in the US is causing deep concern in the food industry: especially for those producers that sell products across multiple states. It's turning into a quagmire to stay ahead of the latest regulatory developments and how they impact a product portfolio: do we reformulate or not, how will this affect prices, what are the risks, what are the consequences…

It’s bizarre to think that like fashion or food, there are emerging trends in the social impact and philanthropy spaces, but as C.D. Glin, global head of Social Impact at PepsiCo and president of the PepsiCo Foundation says, it’s the pointedness and emphasis that consumers are putting on issues like sustainability, digitization and localization that transforming them to be ever present yet emerging at the same time.

While honorable, the EU Deforestation Regulation – specifically its fast-approaching 2024 deadline – is viewed, by some, as impractical. But what is the legislation and what does it mean for the food industry? More specifically, the bakery sector, which is a predominant user of palm oil?

‘Ichigo ichiya’ is a Buddhist saying that describes a cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. In other words, cherish every moment – which is exactly what the specially curated snack boxes of Ichigo’s TokyoTreat and Sakuraco are meant to inspire.

Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland has launched the next round of its Reformul8 Challenge Fund (RCF4), calling on Scottish producers to apply for funds to help them with their reformulation journey.

With his ‘glass half full’ mentality, Eric Dell plans to use his years of experience on Capitol Hill to open the opportunities that working with congress has for the US bakery industry.

The founders of RXBar and Orgain have teamed up with the well-known ‘VitaminWater lawyer’ to launch Humble Growth, a founder-led growth equity investment firm focused on scaling up disruptive brands that empower consumers to lead healthier lives.

There are some really exciting developments happening in the composite flour space - particularly coming out of South Africa, Ethiopia and Pakistan - brought to light through MC Mühlenchemie’s Composite Flour Awards to mark its 100th anniversary.

Despite high inflation, the majority of consumers are happy to pay more for products with a sustainable backstory. So there’s money to be made from environmental credentials, which makes falling into the greenwashing trap a bigger temptation than ever before.

In partnership with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland has developed the Healthier Bakery Fund, which provides funding of up to £5,000 to support health reformulation of sweet and savoury bakery products. But to be eligible, applications have to be by today (30 June 2023).

Soaring energy and ingredient prices, the cost of living crisis, labour shortages and the UK Government’s HFSS regulations - the craft bakery sector has been bombarded with one challenge after another. However, Karen Dear, recently appointed CEO of the Craft Bakers Association (CBA), remains steadfastly optimistic for the industry’s future.

After five years in the hot seat, Alasdair Smith has gained unique insight into what he considers ‘an incredibly noble and proud trade and one that’s got an amazing sense of fellowship’. Before he takes his final bow at the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards and Annual Conference (5-6 May), Bakery&Snacks caught up with Smith to find out what changes he has seen during his tenure and how he views the sector’s future.

Partners in Food Solutions (PFS) coordinates the support of seven major industry leaders – General Mills, Cargill, DSM, Ardent Mills, Bühler, JM Smucker Co and The Hershey Company – to help African processing companies enhance the nutritional value of foods.

Kristy Lewis founded Quinn with a mission to challenge the status quo within our food system. Since founding in 2010, Quinn has built a reputation as a trailblazer in advocating climate-friendly agriculture practices. Founder Kristy Lewis believes we all have a fiduciary responsibility to the planet and Earth Day (22 April) is a wonderful reminder of that.

Since kick-off in 2019, PeaTos has experienced explosive growth and received widespread acclaim thanks to its innovative approach to snacks – adding better-for-you nutrition to popular offerings – and marketing – debunking the junk and challenging the dominance of one player.

Kudos, glory and multiple business benefits are again up for grabs in British Baker’s search for this year's loaf that will stand out above all others.

We’re in the midst of the deadliest bird flu outbreak in US history, with the knock-on effect of squeezing egg supply. Combined with high commodity feed prices and labour shortages, eggs have surged in price – not a happy situation for either the consumer or the professional baker.

The Oreo maker has launched Harmony Ambition 2030, the next chapter of its European sustainable wheat sourcing programme. Bees play a key role, and for each pack of biscuits sold, consumers will have the opportunity to contribute towards ‘a beautiful object that has a verified environment impact’.

The Craft Bakers Association (CBA) has revealed the top trends its members expect to impact the sector in 2023.

Johan Sanders, president of the Federation of European Manufacturers and Suppliers of Ingredients to the Bakery, Confectionery and Patisserie Industries is a believer that being one market will help the industry through its current quagmire of challenges.

Rob Brice – founder of vegan and allergen-friendly crisp brand Crave – is the winner of the Store Cupboard category of Aldi's Next Big Thing, flighted on Channel 4 last month, which secured him a special buy listing for his Pickled Onion Monster Feet and Smokey Bacon Streakers.

How is the food industry stacked up for 2023? Will the inflationary environment cripple the sector? Is supply chain back up and running or will we still see shortages? What is trending and what will hit shelves?

Dr Tom Simmons, founder and CEO of The Supplant Company, spent a decade in academic research around waste reduction before turning his attention to create a high fibre sugar that cooks, bakes and caramelises just like traditional sugar, but with fewer calories, boosts gut health and most importantly, addresses food waste.

EU legislation on acrylamide is set to be renewed next year, meaning its crunch time for a number of manufacturers who are still producing biscuits and cookies with acrylamide levels above the 350 ppb benchmark level (BML).

With distribution and household penetration doubling in the past year alone, refrigerated Greek yoghurt bar producer Clio Snacks believes it is well placed to make a real dent in the $135bn handheld bar category, particularly as the pandemic and inflationary environment have subdued innovation.

French mission-driven agritech company Ÿnsect is addressing one of the biggest challenges of our time – providing a farm-to-fork concept, with no waste, that will help feed an exploding global population while also preserving an increasingly at-risk planet.

The McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility has released a study that takes a deeper look at Black American’s experiences with food, and answers why equitable access to food is not common.

Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU) has extended its 25-year partnership with the Saratoga Jazz Festival for another five years, ensuring the Freihofer brand remains entrenched in the truly original American artform.

The runaway flour price – caused by the atrocious weather in North American wheat-growing areas in 2021, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising fuel costs – is expected to have a long-lasting impact on the bakery industry – meaning bakers need to look beyond short-term savings to stay afloat.

The UK bakery group’s FY2021 record results defied what was then considered one of the toughest markets in living history, and has continued to demonstrate ‘resilience and a strategic focus’ despite an even rougher environment this year.

PepsiCo has developed groundbreaking tech for condensing and treating the steam evaporated from its fryers to recover more than 50% of the water used in potato chip manufacturing lines, an approach that could save 60 million litres of water a year.

Alasdair Smith, CEO of Scottish Bakers, believes it’s a most rewarding pathway for young people entering a new profession, for someone wanting to change careers or for an entrepreneur keen on starting their own venture.

Baking Past, Present and Future was collated in collaboration with food futurist Lyndon Gee and looks back at the bakery ingredients specialists’ key achievements, along with landmark moments in the food industry’s history and what could lie ahead for the next seven decades.

Parents today are as discerning over their choice of foods for their little ones as they are for themselves. However, many snacks and choices on the shelf today come with high levels of sugar and other nasties.

The search for Britain’s Best Loaf 2022 – hosted by our sister publication British Baker – is now open for entries.

The global snack giant has announced a new goal to help 50 million people gain ready access to nutritious foods by 2030 by expanding its Food for Good platform. We speak to C.D. Glin, PepsiCo’s global head of Philanthropy, about how the food industry should come together to bring about real change, especially after the rampage of COVID. He also shares his predications for the snacks industry in 2022.

Amazi Foods is a mindful food company that is helping consumers to feel better in and of themselves with guilt-free, nutrient-packed snacks that are 100% made-in-Uganda and expected to contribute more than $13m to the African country’s economy.

From indulging in comfort food to trying new food fusions, Canadian flavour and colour specialist Embassy Ingredients has tracked the changes in consumer preferences driven by the pandemic.

The UK Government has introduced new rules for high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products that – when implemented in October next year – will affect the advertising of HFSS brands, volume promotions and the display of HFSS products instore.

BakeryandSnacks talks to Antonio Escalona, senior VP and GM of PepsiCo North America’s recently created Hispanic Business Unit, about the company’s recent multi-million dollar investment in the Hispanic market and how the pandemic has swayed the company’s focus and impetus.

Tamsin Robinson used her knowledge gained from Le Cordon Bleu to create BakesterBox, which offers step-by-step recipe boxes for complex bakes that anyone can do at home.

Indian entrepreneur Falu Shah is determined to donate one million school lunches to a child in need in India by the end of 2021 through Howdah. And given the snack’s eclectic range inspired by Indian street food and made from centuries-old family recipes with ayurvedic ingredients, such as turmeric, coriander and ginger, I doubt Howdah will have any problems in hitting this milestone.

Seebo is the artificial intelligence (AI) platform used by producers like General Mills, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Mondelēz to predict and prevent food waste on the factory floor.

Not long after probiotics became the big buzzword, prebiotics became a thing. More recently, postbiotics have begun circulating – and are now slated to be the next mega trend.

Anticipating a rising demand for cheesecake, bakery solutions experts Zeelandia and FrieslandCampina have joined forces to craft a sustainable creation based on whey protein that they claim is a good contender to the iconic New York version.

2020 was without a doubt one of the most challenging years in UK history. Not only did the food industry have to contend with the pandemic, but also the complexities involved with the UK withdrawing from the European Union.