KANSAS CITY – Who says the bread category is stale? Forecasts show significant annual growth rates expected in categories such as sourdough, non-GMO and gluten-free.

•Technavio, New York, forecast the sourdough market to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 9% from 2021-26, rising to $2.36 billion. Growing health concerns will drive the growth, but the high price of sourdough and its shorter shelf life will hinder its market growth, according to Technavio. Sourdough bread is made using wild yeast and a sourdough starter. It takes more preparation time than conventional bread because of the slow growth of wild yeast.

• Zion Market Research, Pune, India, forecast the functional flour market to have a CAGR of nearly 7%, rising to $107.74 billion by 2028 from $72.19 billion in 2021. Functional flours may be heat-treated, protein-treated, enzyme-treated, vitamin-treated, mineral-treated or water-treated to improve stability, regularity and nutrition. Besides baked foods, functional flours may be used in other applications like soups and sauces.

• US retail sales of bread and rolls verified as Non-GMO Project reached $1.4 billion in the 52 weeks ended June 12, up 13% from the previous 52 weeks, according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research company. Other growing categories were gluten-free, up 11% to $298 million; organic, up nearly 8% to $959 million; and no preservatives, up 5.3% to $2.8 billion.

• ResearchandMarkets, Dublin, Ireland, forecast the US gluten-free market to have over a 10% CAGR from 2020 to 2026, rising to $11.4 billion.