Grupo Bimbo bets on China’s shift to ‘eating right’
As Chinese shoppers trade bulk buying for clean label, better-for-you bakery, the Mexican giant is investing to keep pace with a market forecast to top ¥900bn ($130bn) by 2030
Bread & dough products
Why chocolate goes wrong in baking
Chocolate leakage and uneven bake performance are often blamed on poor-quality chocolate, but the real problem frequently lies in ingredient performance and process consistency
Hovis Bakeries: Can Britain’s biggest bread shake-up revive its struggling loaf market?
Hovis Bakeries is the latest sign that Britain’s industrial bread sector is being forced to reinvent itself as changing consumer habits, supermarket pressure and rising costs reshape one of the UK’s biggest food categories
Grupo Bimbo: The bread giant that isn’t afraid of the store brand
Grupo Bimbo says it’s thriving alongside private label’s rise across the US grocery aisle, even as store brands outsell it in parts of its own core bread category
First-ever global standard promises more consistent yeast for bakers worldwide
A first-of-its-kind Codex Alimentarius standard, adopted in Geneva this month, gives baker’s yeast a single global definition for the first time in its long history
Summer Fancy Food Show
Why flour is having its specialty coffee moment
Can heritage grains revitalize the flour category?
Allied renamed as Hovis Bakeries after ABF acquisition completes
Associated British Foods (ABF) has renamed its Allied Bakeries as Hovis Bakeries after the acquisition of its rival has completed.
Grupo Bimbo claims category first with US clean label overhaul
The world’s biggest bakery company says it will become the first in its category to remove artificial colours, flavours, preservatives and emulsifiers across such a broad portfolio of everyday baked goods by the end of 2028
The M&S pistachio sandwich: Are we mistaking hype for innovation?
Last month saw Marks & Spencer roll out another dessert sandwich following the success of its strawberry and crème sando.
Sourdough, Seoul and social media: The new rules of global bakery
Global flavours, artisan credentials and algorithm-driven demand are colliding in the bakery aisle, creating new opportunities – and new pressures – for bakers around the world
Australia’s baking boom is masking a growing skills crisis, warns industry leader
The Australian baking industry is finding growth through premium products and innovation, but a shrinking pipeline of skilled workers is becoming an increasingly urgent concern
Britain’s biggest bakery honours are back
As the Baking Industry Awards (BIA) return for their 39th year, a new leadership category offers fresh insight into what excellence looks like in a bakery industry facing unprecedented change.
New product launches: Jaffa Cakes, Pukka and PAUL lead a great British summer of bakes
From Bakewell Tarts and football cupcakes to pie pop-ups and potato buns, brands are serving up a distinctly British mix of nostalgia, innovation and indulgence this season.
Brewing loyalty: How coffee is powering bakery footfall
Coffee’s not just a pick-me-up anymore. It’s helping bakeries pull ahead in a slowing market
5 CPG brands fueling the regenerative agriculture surge
With major food manufacturers pledging support and new certifications taking root, brands like Simple Mills and Tractor Beverage are accelerating their regenerative organic product rollouts
Added fibre: Why fortification is harder than it looks
Adding fibre to foods and beverages could help close the ‘fibre gap’, but reformulation challenges threaten taste and texture
Nine doughnut trends shaping 2026
From nostalgic glazes to loaded dessert mashups, doughnuts are having a serious moment in 2026
Up the food chain
Europe’s copy-paste problem in US bakery
Why European bakery brands keep getting the US wrong and what it really takes to compete
Calm in the chaos: How US bakers are fighting back on regulation, reformulation and a restless consumer
At the recent American Bakers Association Convention (ABA), industry leaders made one thing clear – in a volatile market, credibility, collaboration and consumer connection will decide who thrives
The simple sandwich is pushing boundaries like never before
What was once the easiest thing to grab is now one of the hardest formats to execute well and one of the most commercially important to get right
GLP-1s: Is the industry asking the wrong question?
New data and clinical insight suggest the real impact of GLP-1 drugs isn’t less eating – it’s a rethink of how, when and why people eat
The new wave of health-first bites and sips
From fibre-packed grains to protein-loaded snacks and low-sugar treats, ‘better-for-you’ is getting more targeted and far less boring
As fibre goes mainstream, can it reshape bakery innovation?
Fibre is fats becoming food’s next big growth driver, but especially in bakery
California’s tortilla rule underscores the shift in market power
The Golden State’s folic acid mandate for corn masa shows how one state is once again reshaping national manufacturing
Can enzymes really reduce bitterness in industrial bread?
With reformulation exposing bitterness and flattening flavour in industrial bread, enzymes are now being tested as a targeted way to rebalance taste at source – but how far they can go remains unclear
Easter shopping trends in 2026: Darker, smaller, last minute
Easter shopping is shifting towards premium, playful and last-minute purchases
ABF-Hovis deal clears hurdle, exposes bread market strain
The CMA has provisionally cleared Associated British Foods’ merger with Hovis in Great Britain, while flagging competition concerns in Northern Ireland, underlining pressure on traditional bread models
Sourdough is rewriting fibre functionality
New research suggests sourdough fermentation does far more than build flavour. It’s actively reshaping wheat fibre in ways that could influence texture, digestibility and product development
Global snacking with Ginsters, Lay’s, Frankie’s and more
From buffalo pastry pockets and protein scone bites to sprouted nuts, snack mixes and football-fuelled crisps, brands are pushing harder on flavour, format and occasion
Glyphosate in baby cereal sparks safety alarm in South Africa
A watchdog report detecting herbicide residues in bread, flour and infant cereal is reigniting the safety debate and putting pressure on regulators to act
Opinion
The icing on the donut: Why Puratos wants Dawn
Dawn built its reputation supplying the mixes, glazes and fillings behind the $20 billion global donut market. That makes Puratos’ proposed acquisition far more strategic than it first appears
Puratos strikes deal to acquire Dawn Foods
One of the biggest deals in the bakery ingredients sector this year is taking shape after Puratos confirmed plans to acquire US-based Dawn Foods
British Pie Week meets Pi Day: The pies stealing the spotlight this March
Two pastry-themed celebrations are putting pies firmly on the global menu this month
The Ozempic effect reaches the bread aisle: Bimbo redesigns bakery for GLP-1 users
The world’s biggest baker says GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are already reshaping how people eat, so it’s redesigning bread and snacks to keep up
Acid whey in sourdough: Fixing a commercial pain point or provoking the purists?
New research suggests Greek yoghurt’s most problematic byproduct could boost loaf volume, extend shelf life and cut additives, but does swapping in acid whey cross a line for sourdough traditionalists?
Postcard from Aruba: Where the bread rises with the breeze
From pasteles to pan de coco, Aruba’s bakeries are mixing island pride with digital savvy and the world’s finally paying attention
From trash to toast: How sunflower oil waste could become bread’s next health upgrade
Research into sunflower oil byproducts suggests an overlooked ingredient could help bakers lift protein and fiber levels while supporting sustainability goals and easing pressure on wheat-based formulations
Africa’s dual bakery market surges as bread demand rapidly rises
Industrial and informal bakeries across Africa are expanding and adapting fast as bread solidifies its position as a critical, high‑volume breakfast staple
Why governments across southern Africa keep bread prices on a tight leash
From subsidies to price caps, bread pricing remains politically charged across southern Africa, forcing governments to intervene to curb inflation and prevent unrest
Africa’s wheat import dependence leaves bread prices exposed to global shocks
Heavy reliance on imported wheat is amplifying price volatility for African bakeries, as geopolitics, currency pressures and logistics costs collide
Fiber sells – when shoppers can find it
Americans want more fiber but don’t know where to find it – opening the door for clearer claims, education and better-tasting products, according to a survey by the International Food Information Council
Florida’s glyphosate bread test has bakers on edge
The US state’s decision to publish glyphosate residue results for supermarket bread has reopened questions around food safety, scientific context and how regulatory data is interpreted by consumers
3 flour brands are redefining how regenerative agriculture scales
By redesigning contracts, supply chains and product development, three flour brands show that scaling regenerative agriculture is as much institutional as it is agricultural
Are bread bags holding back recyclable packaging?
A new ultra-thin mono-material bread bag suggests the biggest barrier to recyclable packaging may no longer be technology but habit
Why South Africa’s bread giants are going mega
SA bread makers are investing in mega-bakeries to cut costs, boost efficiency and serve rising regional demand while navigating price sensitivity and infrastructure constraints
Why salt reduction is getting harder for food makers
Governments may be returning to salt reduction targets, but manufacturers say the era of easy reformulation wins is long over
Bread merger puts consumer affordability under global regulatory spotlight
A UK competition probe into a proposed bread merger is expanding beyond market structure, with regulators explicitly weighing consumer affordability and staple food supply
The global bread labeling gap is catching up with bread marketing
From the US to the EU and Asia-Pacific, bread labeling rules haven’t kept pace with modern baking models, forcing bakers and retailers to rethink how they use terms like ‘wholegrain’, ‘sourdough’ and ‘freshly baked’
Rye January reveals how little Brits know about what’s in their bread
New consumer research shows that most UK consumers eat bread every day without really knowing what’s in it
World’s biggest bakery companies: who’s really got the proof in 2026
Bakery looks like a steady, staple business, until you follow the money. In 2026, a small group of companies controls an outsized share of the world’s bread, buns and baked goods, and the distance between the leaders and the rest is still growing