Gluten has become Public Enemy Number One. Countless people follow a gluten-free diet, and just about everyone knows someone avoiding foods made with the gluten-containing grains wheat, rye and barley

As a dietitian and mom, I know first-hand that whole-grain breads and snack products have lots of health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer. 

As demand for gluten-free products continues to increase, more manufacturers are entering this niche market, developing a wide range of products in various categories. 

August marked the completion of the gluten-free labeling rule development process. Published in August 2013 by FDA, the final rule put parameters around the voluntary use of the terms “gluten-free,” “free of gluten,” “no gluten” and “without gluten” on food labels.

According to the January 2015 “Gluten-Free Foods in the U.S., 5th Edition” report from Packaged Facts, Rockville, MD, from 2009–2014, sales of gluten-free products in grain-based categories posted a 34 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

“Sustainability” means different things to different people.

Product recalls in bakery and snack categories have remained consistent over the years, with undeclared allergens the primary cause. These costly recalls are preventable!

Fresh, delicious food is the dominant consumer route to health and wellness today.

Gluten-free. Dairy-free. Nut-free. Peanut-free. Allergen-free. The food marketplace increasingly features such claims on product labels, but what do they mean? Do regulatory agencies police use of such terms?

The number of gluten-free products that have entered the market in recent years is quite large—almost mind-boggling. To some degree, this trend was fostered by FDA’s relatively new rule, Gluten-Free Labeling of Foods (August 2013), which allows manufacturers of foods inherently gluten-free to make such label claims. Thus, we now have gluten-free tomato sauce, a product that was probably always gluten-free.

An engineer’s perspective on cleaning efficiencies is scary on its own merit—and I’m certainly going to date myself here—but remember the old boil tanks sanitation was so proud and protective of?

The cookie mix is the newest product in the brand's lineup of plant-based, gluten-free baking mixes.

A modern twist on Grandma’s classic recipe, the bar includes chewy gluten-free oats and chunky organic chocolate chips.

Partake, the allergy-friendly snack brand, has teamed up with Marvel for another cookie collaboration that will be sure to "save the day."

The debut of Chips Ahoy! Gluten Free cookies comes on the heels of the brand’s MMMproved Chips Ahoy! Original recipe debut, which brought an improved taste to the chocolate chip cookie.

Artisanal buckwheat snack producer Better With Buckwheat is expanding into six regional and ecommerce grocery chains through June and July. 

The brand is introducing a trio of burrito varieties, making restaurant-quality frozen food more accessible.

The launch capitalizes on rising trends in brownie consumption and gluten-free treats.

Skout Organic is launching its newest snack, Vanilla Macaroon Soft-Baked Cookies, as part of the brand’s limited-time Small Batch line of cookies and bars this month.

The redesigned emphasizes the company's commitment to organic, gluten-free ingredients and introduces new convenient sizes for single and family snacking.

Birch Benders Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix uses purple yams, known as ube in the Philippines, to make purple pancakes and waffles with a sweet flavor that is both gluten-free and naturally vegan

Love + Chew, the mom-owned, plant-based protein cookie company, is unveiling a limited-edition product in early August: its Pumpkin Chip cookie.

Pop culture-infused humor, vibrant design, and a catchy Mariachi riff bridge brand awareness from protein bars into savory snacks.

Feel Good Foods, a gluten-free frozen comfort food brand, has announced availability of its Jalapeno Bites, now available at Costco stores in the Bay Area.

The waffles are available in three flavors, including the first-to-market savory Cheesy Waffle.

Handcrafted in small batches, artisanal crackers made with real clover honey are filled with dark chocolate liquor combined with ethically sourced, dry roasted peanuts milled creamy.

The company’s goal was to create a treat with the same appearance, taste, and texture profile as its original brownie recipe.

Stellar Snacks recently debuted grain-free pretzels crafted with superfood ingredients, now officially available at select grocery stores throughout the U.S.

Sweet Diplomacy now has a brick-and-mortar location in Los Altos, CA, a commercial kitchen in Boulder, CO, and an online menu shipping across the U.S.

Wildgrain partners with local artisanal bakers to bring fresh sourdough breads, pastries, and pastas directly to consumers' doors.

Once Again Nut Butter is bringing new stand-alone cinnamon, honey, and chocolate graham crackers to market.

The new addition to the Myna Snacks lineup is made with real cheese and Italian herbs and seasonings that deliver the taste of pizza in a convenient, crispy, nutritious format.

Schär’s gluten-free Speculoos cookies and Panettone offer options for gluten-free holiday celebrations.

Creating a pleasant stir in New York’s restaurants since 1987, Tom Cat combines the craftsmanship of artisan baking with a cupful of automation plus a pinch of top-quality ingredients

From humble beginnings 40+ years ago in a small bakery near Boston to a 30,000-sq.-ft. plant today in Chelsea, Mass., outfitted with four production lines, Golden Cannoli Shells Inc. now generates more than 100,000 cannoli shells each day. The more spacious plant is also allowing the bakery to significantly increase its capacity.

You will, if you try one from Golden Cannoli Shells Inc. The family-owned, 40-year-old bakery is rolling in the dough at its more spacious, 30,000-sq.-ft. production facility in Chelsea, Mass., to which it relocated in September. The largest national cannoli maker in the U.S. strives for top product quality and strict food-safety standards as well as to ‘just doing things right.’ It’s these and many other reasons that make Golden Cannoli our 2013 Bakery of the Year.

Located in Orem, Utah, Janey Lou’s exemplifies the state’s moniker—the Beehive State. Growing demand for the company’s scrumptious cinnamon rolls, generously-sized cookies, handmade Crispy Treats and numerous frozen dough products is keeping its management team and employees busy as bees.

Celebrating 20 years in business, with its latest cookbook hot out of the oven, Metropolitan Bakery, Philadelphia, delights in baking delicious breads and creating incredible pastries, popcorn and granola, among other foods. 

Crafting artisan breads, café loaves, pastries and more since 1993, Metropolitan Bakery’s Philadelphia production facility mixes clever flavor combinations with a pinch of automation, European equipment and top-quality ingredients to churn out incredibly fresh baguettes, rolls and country breads, seven days a week.

John B. Sanfilippo’s (JBSS) 1-million-sq.-ft. headquarters and production complex in Elgin, Ill., is a real powerhouse, with a whopping 85 production lines for nut and snack processing. The company has witnessed steady growth and the challenges that go with it. And with more than 90 years of experience and a keen focus on customer and consumer solutions, JBSS tackles the tough nuts to crack head on. 

Angelic Bakehouse’s new facility in Cudahy, Wis., bakes sprouted whole-grain breads, rolls and combo flatbread/pizza crusts using ingredients ‘as close to pure as possible,’ to offer clean-label, better-for-you products that it’s happy to feed family members and proud to offer customers. 

Thanks to their new 22,000-sq.-ft. production facility in Cudahy, Wis., the folks at Angelic Bakehouse now have the room, additional equipment and the structure they need to efficiently produce sprouted whole-grain breads, buns, rolls and flatbread/pizza crusts using an unusual process.

Family-owned Ballreich Bros., Tiffin, Ohio, has a large fan base that pines for its various potato chips as well as crispy new shoestring potato sticks, popcorn, pretzels and other snacks. 

Ballreich Bros.’ 75,000-sq.-ft. potato chip and snack plant churns out 2,000-5,000 lb. of product an hour. Manufacturing product on a just-in-time basis, the family owned and operated company in Tiffin, Ohio, also produces new Sweet Potato Chips and shoestring Potato Sticks in three flavors.

It’s Celiac Awareness month, so we explore Enjoy Life Foods, the first bakery to gain gluten-free certification from the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO). In business 12 years, Enjoy Life’s mission is to make great-tasting, allergy-free, gluten-free cookies, bars and grab-and-go foods that nearly everyone can ‘eat freely’ without worry.

New influences, trends and preferences are redirecting many bakers to develop and produce new products. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is still a critical issue, as are commodities, private-label products and many business consolidations. 

The bread market is changing, with fluctuating commodity prices, a still-sluggish economy, consolidations, mergers and buyouts. 

Snacking is really evolving this year, serving as a meal substitute in daily eating, rather than just as ‘a quick bite.’ Snacks are also becoming healthier, or at least attempting to do so. 

Using advanced technology, a cross-functional operational strategy and effective collaboration tools, Blue Diamond’s ‘dream plant,’ a multimillion-dollar almond-processing facility in Turlock, CA, is a reality. The nearly 200,000-sq.-ft. site sets new standards of excellence for food safety, processing and building innovation. 

‘Going from good to great’ is a pervasive theme at Phoenix-based Capistrano’s Bakery. So is the phrase, ‘It Can Be Done.’ This rather quiet, wholesale artisan baker works hard to ensure that its products are tasty, innovative and what its customers want.