This has given added life to the protein craze that has hit nearly every corner of the food & beverage industry in recent years. Piling on to that desire for more protein in products, numerous industry experts have posited that increased fiber formulations will be sought-after in the next year plus.

Big companies are already jumping on board. Bimbo Bakeries USA, for example, in May launched three new breads to meet these needs. Oroweat Fiber Power Bread offers 14g of fiber, and Oroweat Protein Bread provides 20g of complete protein per two slices of each.

In Bimbo Bakeries’ announcement of these products, the company cited Cleveland Clinic data saying that more than 90% of U.S. adults do not get enough fiber in their diets, and the Fiber Power Bread would get them 40% of their daily goal.

Flowers Foods jumped on board last January, launching its Nature’s Own Life Wheat + Protein, which offers 22g of protein per two slices. In the announcement for the product, Krystle Farlow, senior director of brand management at Nature's Own, cited Circana data that 41% of adults want to increase protein intake, and this new product would provide them a “protein-rich and keto-friendly sandwich bread that also delivers on the Nature's Own brand promise of no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and no high fructose corn syrup.”

Those are just two examples of new products meeting consumer demands. And the industry has been through the health-conscious push before. However, this time around, price has weighed heavier on consumers, as inflation continues to rear its ugly head.

Dave Desena, also a team leader-technical counselor for Rich’s, points out that retailers have responded to consumer price sensitivity by offering smaller portion sizes on certain products and a wider assortment on others. “This strategy not only helps maintain attractive price points but also supports healthier serving sizes,” he says.

Speaking of healthier options, consumers are demanding to know more about the products they consume, with regard to the ingredient lists, the level of processing a product requires and other perceptions of healthfulness that often make headlines in mainstream and social media channels. And retailers are responding.

“Retailers are also expanding their assortment of gluten-free, sugar-free, and products made with all-natural ingredients for coloring and flavoring to meet evolving consumer preferences and regulatory trends,” Desena adds, saying that Rich’s offers products that meet many of those demands across several categories, from pizza to cookies, brownies, breads and rolls. It also has responded to cleaner-label trends by introducing all-natural icing options for its products.

Create consistency amidst turbulence

For many processors of baked goods, helping customers, whether they are at-home consumers or in-store bakeries, is paramount. Creating baked items efficiently and consistently takes precision and sharp attention to detail, Hoguet says.

“Bakeries must combine adapted, high-precision equipment with ‘slow food’ processing, allowing doughs to undergo slow fermentation so gluten structures and rich flavor profiles develop properly without being over-handled,” she says. “Combining modern equipment with traditional time-honored methods is what maintains batch-to-batch consistency.”

Add to that the variety of challenges faced by in-store bakeries (and the processors who supply them), says Desena, both on the workforce and equipment sides of the equation.

“Finding skilled labor and ensuring employees are consistently trained on proper proofing and baking procedures remains a significant challenge for in-store bakeries,” he explains. “Key operational concerns include achieving consistent proofing and finished product size for dough-format items, maintaining uniform bake color and effectively staging products throughout the production process to ensure quality and efficiency.”

Kohl points out that in-store bakeries still mix product from scratch, and they adhere strictly to requirements on ingredient sourcing and storage. “Most ingredients are purchased from approved manufacturers, so if an ingredient is out of stock, it is not always possible to quickly substitute it with an alternative product off the shelf,” she says.

Fortunately, says Claire Zelenka, who is also a team leader-technical counselor at Rich Products, solutions are available to help bakeries keep up. “The availability of fully finished and further-finished products has made it easier for retailers to deliver consistent, high-quality items to their customers,” she says. “These solutions help maintain product consistency despite staffing changes, while also reducing the potential for operational errors and additional labor-related costs.”

Hoguet also says equipment manufacturers have “made incredible leaps in automated laminating technology,” which helps bakers preserve a handmade look and texture even when producing at scale. Vandemoortele also leans into product innovation, such as its patented “Bake’Up” freezer-to-oven process.

“By flattening and pre-glazing our pastries without destroying dough lamination, we allow operators to bake authentic European croissants directly from the freezer in under 30 minutes with zero proofing, defrosting or specialized labor required,” Hoguet explains. “Innovation like this solves labor and storage challenges while guaranteeing consistent, fresh-baked quality every time.”

Beyond processing equipment, communications technology can be better incorporated to help train customers at multiple locations and share recipes and best practices within each customer’s network, says Zelenka.

“I believe there are many opportunities to further utilize technology to support live training demonstrations that extend beyond local training sessions,” she says. “For example, a live video feed could showcase the proper steps for preparing a product and be broadcast to associates who can watch from a mobile device while performing the task themselves.”

It appears that industry associations have heard the call, as this past April, the American Bakers Assn. (ABA) and the American Society of Baking (ASB) announced a multi-year collaboration to expand educational programming, enhance workforce development and increase industry-wide advocacy initiatives. Under the agreement, ABA will invest $500,000 over the next five years to support ASB’s development of impactful, accessible educational programs aimed at building the industry’s talent pipeline and creating clear pathways for professional advancement, the announcement said.

Comprehensive training, Kohl adds, “enables bakers to recognize poor product quality, identify improper mixing and catch incorrect ingredient additions before they impact the finished product.”

And while no one wishes for mistakes to happen, catching them earlier in the process gives the operators more flexibility to remedy the situation and continue to produce consistent, high-quality products for customers and consumers alike.