Company: Arla Food Ingredients

Website: arlafoodsingredients.com

Ingredient Snapshot: Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a plug and play solution to help manufacturers create indulgent bars with high protein content in every layer.

With 80% of consumers saying they are interested in protein (up from 69% in 2014), protein bars are increasingly common in retail outlets.

However, most have a more uniform mass than indulgent confectionery options, which can offer a wider variety of layered textures. This is a challenge in the increasingly saturated bar market, where texture is a major driver of consumer purchasing decisions.

Now Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a protein bar concept that allows brands to raise the protein content of every part of their bars—including the mass, filling, and coating—without increasing size or compromising on taste or texture.

The new recipe is based on high-quality whey and milk protein ingredients from the company’s Lacprodan range. It ensures that rich chocolate mass retains its flavor and softness throughout shelf life and offers 30% protein per bar, allowing for high-protein claims. As a “plug and play” solution, it can be used by brands as it is or as the basis for their own formulations.

Laima Liepinyte, sales development manager, health & performance nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “In the crowded bar market, manufacturers need to capture the attention of consumers seeking high-protein options that are just as appealing as their confectionery counterparts. With Lacprodan ingredients, they can create multi-layer protein bars with a palette of textures and a soft, light, and creamy mouthfeel. As well as delivering pathways to success for wellness-focused manufacturers, this new concept opens new doors for high-protein confectionery products.”

The new concept will be launched on September 15th in a webinar hosted by Arla Foods Ingredients in partnership with Nutrition Integrated. It will also be showcased at SupplySide West, Las Vegas, November 2–3.