Arla Foods Ingredients has recently launched the ‘Essentials Bar’, an innovative high-protein snack tailored to meet the rising consumer demand for natural, clean-label products. This launch signifies a significant step forward in the health and wellness sector, specifically for snacks that prioritize both nutrition and transparency.
In their latest initiative, Arla Foods Ingredients has unveiled a new concept for high-protein bars with a focus on natural ingredients and health benefits. The Essentials Bar aligns with current market trends, attracting health-conscious consumers who seek snacks that not only taste good but are also good for them.
A notable challenge that many whole-food bars face is the absence of whey protein. This omission is typically due to whey’s interaction with natural fruit sugars, which can lead to an undesired hardness in the finished product. The Essentials Bar serves as an exemplary solution to this issue, effectively balancing three critical factors: high protein content, adherence to whole-food principles, and maintaining softness throughout its shelf life.
Making its debut at the prominent SupplySide West expo, the Essentials Bar features Lacprodan® SoftBar. This whey protein ingredient uniquely enables manufacturers to incorporate high-quality protein into snack bars while ensuring a consistently soft texture. The Essentials Bar is further enhanced by combining dairy calcium ingredient Capolac® with nutrient-rich dates and nuts, making it the ideal whole-food snack solution.
Arla Foods Ingredients strives to inspire cleaner-label variations that stand in stark contrast to the often long and complex ingredient lists found in many current snack bars. The recipe for the Essentials Bar includes just ten straightforward ingredients, devoid of maltitol or any added sugars. This simplistic approach cleverly meets both US and EU standards for naturally positioned snack bars. As a result, it opens up numerous opportunities for a variety of on-pack claims, including those emphasizing high protein and fiber content.
According to Sarah Meyer, Head of Sales Development for Performance Nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, “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.” This highlights the continuing shift towards mindful eating, where consumers increasingly value transparency and nutritional integrity in their food choices.
Sarah further emphasized the uniqueness of the Essentials Bar: “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 optimized bars with cleaner labels and to stand out in an increasingly crowded category.”
The ‘Essentials Bar’ is one of three innovative products presented by Arla Foods Ingredients at the SupplySide West expo. In addition to the Essentials Bar, the nutrition leader will showcase Lacprodan® ISO.WaterShake, a versatile ingredient designed for use in holistic beverages that effectively combine hydration with the nutritional benefits of whey protein.
Another notable concept highlighted is ‘Whey Better in Seconds,’ which delivers a remarkable 21g of protein in just a 100ml shot. This turnkey solution showcases the exceptional amino acid profile of BLG (beta-lactoglobulin) from the Lacprodan® BLG-100 ingredient, demonstrating its efficacy for rapid protein delivery—ideal for athletes and busy professionals alike.
