The line between meals and snacks has become increasingly blurred, with many consumers, especially younger ones, replacing traditional meals with frequent snacking throughout the day. Tortilla and flatbread producers are playing into this with snackable products that offer consumers the on-the-go convenience they desire. 

“There’s a clear shift toward smaller, snack-sized formats, reflected in products like mini naan dippers, mini soft flour tortilla bowls and street taco-sized tortillas,” observed Julia Mills, food and drink analyst, Mintel. 

Ozery Bakery, Vaughan, Ontario, offers Morning Rounds, portable flatbreads in flavors like Blueberry and Apple Cinnamon, as well as Snacking Rounds, which are bite-sized. The rounds are marketed as offering “none of the crust and fuss of sliced bread.”

“[The rounds] can be used for everything from snacks to wraps to breakfast,” said Sabrina Pacitto, marketing manager, Ozery Bakery. “By keeping flavors fresh and exciting, we help make mealtime more interesting, encouraging customers to enjoy our products across various occasions.”

Kontos Foods, Patterson, NJ, recently introduced flatbread minis, 2-inch cocktail flatbreads ideal for kids’ lunches, meal prep or catering events.

“Anything you can just pick up and eat in one bite I feel like is the biggest thing for people right now,” Demi Kontos, commercial strategy and analytics, Kontos Foods. “Snacking has been a big trend.” 

Tortillas are well-suited for the snacking and convenience trends, observed Jim Kabbani, chief executive officer of the Tortilla Industry Association (TIA), as many producers already offer smaller sizes for products such as street or mini tacos. Tortilla makers just need to remain nimble and quickly adjust their portfolios and innovation strategy to meet these evolving consumer preferences, he said. 

The desire for convenience extends to foodservice as well, where Kontos said operators are looking for flatbread and tortilla products that require little preparation and can help them save on labor. Kontos Foods’ pre-grilled panini breads have been popular with foodservice operators and consumers alike for this reason. 

“The grill marks create a great presentation, and operators don't have to do anything to them to achieve that fresh-off-the-grill look,” Kontos explained. “Our breads heat up very easily, so it just saves time, it saves labor, it saves money. That's a product big that's skyrocketed this year.”

This article is an excerpt from the February 2025 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Tortillas & Flatbreads, click here.