Baking & Snacks

The first half of 2026 has proven to be a defining period for the global baking and snacks industry, marked by an accelerating wave of mergers and acquisitions, strategic capital deployment, bold product launches, and a sharper pivot toward clean-label, better-for-you, and functional formats.

The company’s latest innovation, a fermented gluten-free bread binder, aims to provide manufacturers with a clean-label solution that enhances both functionality and consumer appeal.

This appointment reinforces the company’s focus on accelerating digital transformation and integrating data-driven capabilities across its expanding portfolio.

The collection combines Marinela and Bimbo baked snack formats with Hershey’s chocolate and will be available in convenience stores across the US from Spring 2026, with a suggested retail price of US$1.99.

Ghirardelli has launched its first refrigerated cookie dough line in the United States, offering two flavors and national retail distribution starting in June 2026, and is positioned to bring the brand’s premium chocolate into the refrigerated bakery aisle.