Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/375622
800.372.6808 | Seattle, WA franschocolates.com Our Signature Favorite Available in 3pc & 7pc Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 3824 A plethora of new cookie f lavors and ingredients have f looded the market. Small- scale producers are leading the innovation charge, developing new f lavor combinations and incorporating a range of ingredients, many of which have a healthy spin. Bigger suppliers, such as Nabisco and Pepperidge Farm, have followed suit, showing that spe- cialty leaders are on to a lasting formula. A Healthier Approach The better-for-you cookie market continues to do well. Cookies made with nutritious and all-natural ingredients are popular with consumers who eschew artificial flavorings and have special health needs such as celiac disease. According to Mintel, the majority of buyers consider health-related attributes in their purchasing decisions. Nutrient-Rich and Savory. Many new cookies are made with whole-food ingredi- ents like flax, pumpkin seeds, raw nuts, fruits, and berries. Cookie Sense uses chia seeds and flax seeds in its high-fiber, high-protein cook- ies, while Susie's Smart Cookie adds omega 3s to position the treat as a hearty, nutritious breakfast offering. Em's Power Cookies & Bars specifically target consumers in sports training, with products like the Apricot Attack Cookie Bar (with almonds and dates) and Chocolate Cranberry Craze Cookie Bar. The Sticky Toffee Pudding Company loads many of these ingredients into one cookie bar with its Fruit and Nut Tiffin, with biscuits, almonds, and cherries. Adam Rhein, a buyer at Eli's Manhattan, a gourmet market in New York City, says savory cookies and herb and spice infusions are also gaining in popularity. Notable ingre- dients include cheddar cheese bits, poppy seeds, lavender, and olive oil. "One thing I saw at this summer's Fancy Food Show that was most glaring was that everyone's doing spicy, including cookies, like chili-infused cookies," he adds. Zesty Cookie Company uses cayenne pepper in its hot cocoa and lemon zinger cookies, while Too Good Gourmet, a cookie supplier and retailer in San Lorenzo, Calif., sells a wasabi chocolate cookie that company president Jennifer Finley says is a top seller. Gluten-Free Frenzy. More brands are offering gluten-free cookies than ever before. "Gluten-free is definitely still a growing mar- ket," says Dave Osner, a grocery manager for Dorothy Lane Market, which has three locations in Ohio. At Eli's, Rhein says consumers have been responding well to a variety of brands, from category mainstays to new entrants focused exclusively on the gluten-free seg- ment. "Tate's [Bake Shop] does a gluten- free line, which is very successful," he says. GinnyBakes, too, has a well-faring gluten- free line, in chocolate chip, oatmeal, and double chocolate chip. Until recently, when reaching for a box of gluten-free cookies, a consumer's f lavor choices were limited. With the trend f looding the industry as a whole, variety Salem Baking Co. Gluten Free Delightfully Thin & Crispy Cookies in caramel chocolate chip (left) and Tate's Bake Shop Cookies in Ginger Zinger 52 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com