HOUSTON — Single-serve cakes, portion-controlled desserts and 5- to 6-inch pies highlighted the first day of the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) show, which runs June 9-11 in Houston.

It’s not because of shrinkflation. Rather, the right-sized sweet goods target smaller households, grab-and-go consumers and those families looking to maximize their dollar by reducing food waste

The single-serve cake slices were championed by Buddy Valastro, who took the stage on June 9 after a red carpet night in Los Angeles where he received his first Emmy as Culinary Host for “Legends of the Fork” and arrived after taking a early-morning flight to speak at the show.

After describing how he became the popular “Cake Boss,” Valastro delved into how his manufacturing business relied on innovation, automation and modified atmosphere packaging to extend his signature, made-from-scratch sliced cakes with no preservatives to a 30-day shelf life and a broader array of consumers.

He also showed how specially designed packaging enables his business to sell fresh tres leche and other desserts made with natural ingredients with a longer shelf life. Some packages have a separate compartment to preserve the creaminess of the filling in cannoli and other moist cream components while another section maintains the crunchiness of the outer shell and other dry ingredients, such as cereal and toppings.

“When we think about retail, single-serve is the future,” he said.

That was readily apparent in many exhibitors’ booths throughout the sold-out exhibit floor at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Lantmannen USA, for instance, featured an array of creative handheld sweet goods, including a Danish donut with a fluffy, 24-layer laminated dough as well as other pastries inspired, produced and shipped from its bakeries in Europe.

Rocky Mountain Pies introduced portion-controlled pies baked in a half-pie container. Par Grandinetti, president, noted the Salt Lake City company invested in new equipment that allows them to produce and package the half pies, eliminating the labor involved for in-store bakers to manually cut pies and place them in plastic containers, which results in an additional packaging cost at the store level.

Buffalo, NY-based Rich Products highlighted everything from multi-flavored, single-serve parfaits to cake squares and even single-sliced pizza for supermarket bakery/delis.

“We have that focus on every single category,” said Rachel McCrone, director, customer marketing bakery/deli, Rich Products. “We have so many grab-and-go options for consumers who are cutting back on their spending or they’re trying to avoid overindulgence. Maybe it’s a category that they want to try, but they’re not ready to fully commit to a larger size. Ultimately, we think of those grab-and-go items and smaller portions as an everyday, anytime treat. It doesn’t need to be a special occasion. We don’t need a reason to do it. We feel OK with indulging in those smaller, grab-and-go, more anytime, everyday-focused items.”

The consumer need for on-the-go and individual desserts was also supported by research presented at IDDBA workshops during the event.

In a presentation on the state of snacking, Jonna Parker, principal II/team lead, fresh foods at Circana, pointed out that recent surveys show 50% of consumers stated they “often eat snacks instead of a meal because I am on the go” while 46% of consumers snack more than three times a day.

In a presentation on the shifting landscape of consumer packaged goods, Steve Zurek, director, sales development for North American sales operations, NielsenIQ, noted that the trend toward personal-sized, affordable treats is a movement with staying power.

“Small indulgences are where to be for the next few years,” he said.