BakeryAndSnacks Podcast

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