Month: February 2014

The 2014 Sweets & Snacks Expo, sponsored by the National Confectioners Association, continues to expand its status as a global resource for products, innovations and insights. The Expo, to be held May 20-22 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, promises to be the most successful in the event’s 18 year history, boasting a sold-out show floor with a double-digit waitlist and participation from exhibitors from the U.S. and around the world. Companies from 23 countries have secured booths or pavilions on the show’s floor. …

During the American Bakers Association 2014 Convention in Scottsdale, Ariz., the March 17 Morning Business Sessions will feature an enlightening and provocative session entitled “The Innovation Conversation.” Guided by Tom Furphy, a retail and ecommerce expert, and Kevin Coupe, author and “Content Guy” for MorningNewsBeat.com, this interactive journey will engage the ABA convention attendees in a dialogue about where traditional retailing is heading, what can be learned from e-commerce successes and failures, how to compete in the new environment, and how to understand the new consumer. …

That footlong loaf baking in your local Subway’s oven could contain an ingredient called azodicarbonamide. It’s an additive the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permits for use in restricted amounts to strengthen dough and to increase the shelf life of bread, and as a bleaching ingredient in cereal flour—it also happens to be used in plastics and rubber. After a petition launched this week, the ubiquitous sandwich chain announced on Wednesday that it will stop using the additive, though it did not say when. …