Leading Drivers in the Bakery Sector

Global influences being explored are contributing to enhancing the quality of bakery products.

FREMONT, CA: Global trends are infiltrating bakery product trends. Consumers have concerns regardless of where they come from, and this is affecting innovation. Bakery products range in complexity and include bread, cakes, and biscuits, which contain wheat flour as the major ingredient as it offers bulk and structure. However, other vital ingredients are being explored that contribute to improving the quality of such products.

One of the pioneering drivers when selecting which bread to buy is freshness. Recent patent activity shows ingredients and processing means that claim to enhance bakery quality and new enzymes and leavening agents to a better texture. Dough workability and bread volume are essential factors in bread making. Enzymes utilized in industrial bread-making include amylases, which enhance the formation of protein networks in the dough that 

impact crumb structure and bread texture and enhance shelf-life; glucose oxidase and lipase to better dough strength; lipoxygenase to bleach and strengthen dough; and asparaginase to mitigate acrylamide formation during baking.

Regarding the sustainability trend in the bakery industry, vegetarianism, organic ingredients, and the clean label result in consumers' willingness to pay. Considering the consumer interest in plant diets, there are options for brands to reformulate to tap into the vegan trend as the vegetarian claim is underutilized. Consumers' increasing interest in vegan and vegetarian diets provides opportunities for biscuit brands to highlight these attributes on the pack, as many sweet and savory biscuits are vegetarian. Ingredients that are short and focused on natural and organic ingredients appeal to consumers. A visual representation of composition can help consumers understanding and highlight the brand's transparent approach to ingredients.

Brands are advancing with niche and novel ingredients to boost the nutritional value. Novel ingredients like insect protein and cauliflower flour have been used in other food categories but are relatively unexplored in crackers and cookies. Such ingredients can appeal to novelty and dietary grounds. Insect and invertebrates as ingredients are exceptionally niches. Still, in the last year, there has been a considerable uptick in launch activity, primarily in the form of energy and protein bars.