Supermarket Perimeter - September 2023 - 29

a candy corn cupcake with bright colorful buttercream icing. Use the
season as inspiration to get creative in cake decorating. "
Hispanic influences
The popularity of Hispanic flavors is growing. Rich's offers a vast Hispanic
Portfolio, so retailers, restaurants, and foodservice operations can offer
wide varieties. Rich's Hispanic offerings span everything from tres leches
and portioned desserts, to bakery items and traditional Rosca ring breads.
Others are witnessing key developments
of this important trend.
" Currently, there's a notable influx of
" To capture these
impulse purchases, we
suggest that retailers
display packaged
sweet snacks in highly
visible areas. "
Alyssa Barrett, Rich Products
Hispanic influences in cake trends, featuring
lighter fruity and tropical flavors, " said Dan
Moats, master baker at Stratas. " Alongside
this, a continuing trend involves blending
sweet and savory elements, resulting in
intriguing flavor fusions. "
Elegant presentation has swept into the
decorated cake business with a zestful flurry.
No longer are customers satisfied with a
simple cake with just frosting. They crave
multiple flavors and creative decorations that
are eye-catching and make a bold statement.
A wide variety of cake flavors are featured at Araceli's Bakery in
Lexington, Ken., where owner Jonathan Cervantes points out that
offering numerous choices ensures that you maximize your appeal to
customers. The bakery offers up to 10 flavors of tres leches cakes, which
are offered as 8-inch cakes, 12-inch cakes or individual slices. Flavors
include mocha, strawberry, pecan, cheese, caramel, fruit medley, Oreo,
pineapple and peach. Customers can also order a variety of sizes of flan
or chocoflan: cup, small, large or heart shape.
INSIDER
Fall outlook
The fall pricing outlook for grains,
dairy, eggs, and sugar is a looming
question mark. Jeff Gholson, senior
vice president, procurement, at Rise
Baking, spoke on the topic during an
Aug. 16 IDDBA Webinar: Fall Baking
Season Commodity Outlook.
" It's been a crazy two years. It's
been a crazy two months, " Gholson
said of the economy in mid-August.
" Inflation continues to moderate. "
Overall, food inflation has risen
4.9% over the past 12 months. As for
whether America is heading toward a
recession, Gholson stated, " Will we,
or won't we? It's a moving target. "
There are geopolitical issues at work,
including Russia/Ukraine and China,
where the economy has slowed.
China experienced double-digit
declines in imports and exports
during July.
" The third real issue is weather, "
Gholson pointed out. " El Nino
shouldn't have a whole lot of impact.
The bigger issues will be in southeast
Asia, particularly in palm. Southeast
Asian palm production could be
impacted negatively. "
Showcase
signature items
that demonstrate
product quality
and variety.
Weather in the western United
States has improved drastically in
the past six months, he explained.
Needed rainfall is reaching the
Central and Southern Plains where
wheat is so important. " Areas in the
Midwest have improved in recent
weeks, but there are some areas of
concern. "
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SEPTEMBER 2023 - 29
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Supermarket Perimeter - September 2023

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