Protein meets whole foods in new bar concept

Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a new concept for high-protein bars with a natural positioning.

Whey protein is notably absent from many wholefood bars as it can react with the natural fruit sugars they commonly contain, causing hardening.

The Essentials Bar demonstrates how manufacturers can overcome this challenge and meet three key needs: high protein content, a whole foods positioning and softness throughout the product's shelf-life.

Making its debut at SupplySide West, the new concept showcases Lacprodan SoftBar.

The whey protein ingredient enables high levels of high-quality protein to be packed into snack bars while maintaining soft texture. In the Essentials Bar, it is combined with dairy calcium ingredient Capolac, as well as dates and nuts for the ultimate wholefood snack.

Designed to inspire cleaner-label alternatives to the complex lists found on many bars, the recipe contains only ten ingredients, with no maltitol or added sugar.

It meets US and EU standards for snack bars with a natural positioning and opens up opportunities for a range of on-pack claims, including high in protein and high in fibre.

Sarah Meyer, Head of Sales Development, Performance Nutrition, at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “With the healthy snacking trend still on the rise, consumers want indulgent bars that provide balanced nutrition – including protein – but they also want simpler labels."

"The Essentials Bar pairs high-quality protein with the natural goodness of dates and nuts in a dream combination that has previously been difficult to achieve. It offers bar manufacturers exciting opportunities to create nutritionally optimised bars with cleaner labels and to stand out in an increasingly crowded category.”

The Essentials Bar is one of three concepts being showcased by Arla Foods Ingredients at SupplySide West.

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Exhibiting at Booth #1565, the nutrition leader will also demonstrate how its Lacprodan ISO.WaterShake can be used in holistic beverages that combine hydration with the nutritional benefits of whey protein.

Meanwhile, the "Whey better in seconds" concept packs 21 g of protein into a 100 mL shot. The turnkey solution showcases the excellent amino acid profile of BLG (beta-lactoglobulin) ingredient Lacprodan BLG-100, demonstrating its benefits for rapid protein delivery.